The Slow Passage of Time
by phoenix catcher
Summary: Complete. Harry/Robin. Harry/Various. Danvers is a parodox. He turned himself to bring around the end of a war. Follows his life during the turmoil of Prince John's rule over England and into the future.
1. One end of the Paradox

The Slow Passage of Time

Disclaimer; I own nothing from Robin Hood (2006) or from Buffy or Harry Potter. All rights for anything you recognise belong to the original owners of the relevant series.

**Warning; I really am only going to say this once. This will be slash on several accounts but warning will be given at the beginning of any chapter with content more than simple kissing or touching.**

Chapter 1; One end of the Paradox

**Sherwood Forest – 1192**

Searing brightness and a gentle rustling were the first things he took in as he awakened. His eyes cracked open to see far off shadows flickering over the bright light. A Sky. His eyes focused after a moment and he found himself staring up at the swaying canopy of trees. He felt weak and his body barely answered to his commands. He pulled in one long breath just as a shadow covered his face appeared and his eyes painfully turned to take in a concerned looking man of about twenty-five. His mouth was moving but he only just managed to drag in another breath before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell unconscious again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Gloucester – 2005**

Harry Potter dove behind a ticket machine a few fractions of a second before the train platform where he'd just been standing exploded upwards. The eight Death Eaters didn't seemed phased by their opponent's defences and Harry and his squad of Aurors were trying to cover the retreating muggles even as they ran screaming from both sides of the Wizarding battle. Harry spun out from behind the ticket machine as it was banished and with a swirl of his battle robes a ripple of magic soared out at the Death Eaters sending all of them flying backwards. Three were introduced to the live rail on the tracks below.

His squad darted out from cover to take advantage of the Death Eaters' momentary confusion and disarmed and stunned the remaining five in quick succession. When his team Captain, Tonks, turned to compliment Harry's awesome spell her eyes widened in shock at the sight of a looming shadow that detached itself from behind Harry and before Tonks or any of the other four members of the team could get a bead on the emerging figure it had an arm around Harry and had pulled him back against his chest. The Vampire, since that was what it was, stared out at them with unerring green eyes that held no fear or worry about being outnumbered.

"Merlin." Tonks hissed and she almost dropped off the edge of the platform as she took a step backwards. Her eyes were filled with fear and her arm was shaking. The others were the same as they slowly backed away.

Harry struggled just slightly against his captor, just to test his ability and strength, but the other held him firmly. There was no give to work with. Harry tried going limp so his captor underestimated him but all he got was the slight sound of clicked teeth next to his ear to tell him that he knew what Harry was trying to do.

"Danvers Orion!" Tonks gasped. Harry tensed up as the name reached his ears. There was nobody that rivalled the Lord of Vampires. A being of neutrality but one that was so powerful even Voldemort respected his every wish. He hadn't taken part in any of the Wizarding World's wars, not against Grindlewald and not against Voldemort. Harry remembered hearing from Ron about when he'd gone with Dumbledore to meet with Danvers Orion only to have Voldemort arrive with Lucius Malfoy and Draco Malfoy. Words had been exchanged and wands drawn between the two groups but Danvers' Vampires had had all five of them disarmed within seconds and Ron and Dumbledore had returned to Grimmauld Place white as ghosts.

"What do you want?" Harry asked.

"You." The hissed voice told him before he was tugged backwards into the station subway. His eyes went black as they landed almost five metres below them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Sherwood Forest – 1192**

His eyes opened again and his breath rushed in as he sucked in air. It was harder this time but that wasn't the only change. He was ridiculously hot and his body felt like it was about to melt. Sweat ran across his skin and down his sides. He was naked underneath a course blanket that hung low across his stomach and legs. As he tried to focus an object obscured his vision and he felt somebody dabbing at his forehead with a damp cloth.

As the cloth left his head he turned to look tiredly to his left where a man knelt beside him. It was a different man than the one before but he was still looking at him in concern. His hand slipped up to rest on his bare chest and he realised the man was monitoring how he breathed.

"Breathe in slowly but deeply." The man told him gently.

He did as told and drew in a slow deep breath which shuddered through him. He turned to the side in a fever induced coughing fit and the man held the back of his head gently until he was finished.

"Just sleep." The man smiled at him gently as soon as he had turned to look back at the rock ceiling overhead. His eyes flickered over to the man before he let them close again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Nottingham – The Manor of Danvers Orion – 2005**

Harry Potter awoke with a start and opened his eyes before realising that here was no point in doing so. Wherever he had been put was absolutely pitch black. Not only that but he wore strange clothing that fit him loosely yet was comfortable. His battle robes, wand and potions were gone but other than that he seemed to be completely unharmed. He slowly slide backwards across the floor until his back hit a wall and he leant against it.

It wasn't long before the sound of a door opening met his ears, except it wasn't the sound of any door in the Wizarding World. It slid into the wall with a barely audible hiss and light flooded the room making Harry squint painfully. When he finally opening his eyes it was to see a figure standing before him. He was five foot ten with raven black hair and bright emerald eyes. His face was finely shaped but it was his teeth that were the most distracting about him. His incisors were finely pointed yet Harry couldn't pull his own gaze away from them.

"Harry." The man smiled at him as he knelt. "I have avoided being seen with you since you were a ten year old boy but we have met before. I would ask if you remember but I know that you do."

"I don't..." Harry frowned studying the man carefully before he remembered. His eyes opened wide.

"I picked you up once after your cousin beat you up. I put a bandage around your skinned shin and carried you home." The man smiled sadly at him. "You were six."

"I don't understand?" Harry gasped out in shock.

"Look at me, Harry." The man told him before standing and without a single chance of defending himself the man had him standing as well. His arm was around Harry's upper arms and torso and Harry was being held tightly shoulder to shoulder with him. There was a mirror against the wall and Harry could see them both staring back at them.

Harry eyes widened in shock at the resemblance. In fact it wasn't so much a resemblance as an exact match. There were a few differences in their builds and stances. Harry was a wizard while this man, Danvers Orion, was a god among mortals. His every move suggested power yet his eyes held a strange lonely look that dove deep into Harry's heart. "We look like twins."

"No, Harry. Not twins." Danvers shook his head. "We are the first of the true Vampires."

"I'm not a Vampire." Harry argued, "Even if I was, how could we both be the first."

"You will see." Danvers looked so sad in the mirror but as Harry watched his teeth were bared and then he blurred. He twisted and to Harry's shock he felt teeth in his throat and he found himself watching Danvers drink his blood in the mirror.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Sherwood Forest – 1192**

He woke again feeling much better than he had before and turned his head around to study the scene. The cave he was in the back of was dim but he could see the space as if it was lit brightly. It was wide and circular with a small cooking fire in the centre near the entrance way. A small group sat around the fire but he only recognised the man that had cared for him in his fever the few times he had awoken. He sat near to another young man of about the same build and two others sat around the fire. One was a large man built of what seemed to be mostly muscle while the other was a shorter figure who seemed to be doing the cooking.

"How is our patient then, Will?" The short one asked. The man that had cared for him glanced over at him but he didn't seem to be able to see him as well as he could see them. He must be Will then.

"He's out of his fever." Will told them.

"There's something strange about him though." The one beside Will commented leaning just slightly towards Will. The movement, in the dark as it was, was well hidden but he could see the tell tale closeness that told of them being slightly more than friends.

"Oh here we go again." The short one sighed. "Allan and his suspicions."

"This is serious though. You've seen the way he bit his lip." 'Allan' argued.

"As if you haven't bitten your own lip before." Will laughed.

"Those were puncture wounds." Allan retorted. "And now they're gone."

His eyes widened at those words and he remembered in that instant when Danvers Orion had bitten him and called him the First. He groaned without being able to stop himself and heard the rushed scuffing that signalled the others were all moving. He didn't take in any of that yet though, his mind was only on one thing right now and that was the fact that he was now a Vampire just like Danvers Orion. Not just a demonic monster but a living predator without measure.

He tried to rise but several sets of hands came to hold him down and he didn't want to hurt them all. Some part of him calmly told him that he could probably take them all apart within seconds, the part of him that seemed to smile at him with the same small sad smile that Danvers had always seemed to wear on his face.

"Much!" The larger man shouted over his shoulder. "Go get Robin!"

"No need, Little John." Another voice spoke up. The large man, supposedly Little John, turned to look at the newcomer and through the gap between him and Will, he saw the man from when he'd woken up for the first time. "Let him stand if he can."

Instantly the three sets of hands on him disappeared and he found himself alone. He made to stand before realising he was still naked except for the blanket covering his lower half. He slipped off the side of his bed, which seemed to be more a part of the rock wall than an actual bed, and held the blanket around his waist and legs. His legs caved instantly and Harry felt partly like they'd been completely rebuilt. Every movement he made seemed to be in preparation for an attack.

He drew himself up and looked at them all around him. Will and Allan were to his left and Will looked almost as if he wanted to help him stand. The shorter one, presumably Much, was standing on his right with Little John, the large one. The newcomer, Robin, stood in front of him just inside the cave and was clearly holding his bow in a position to attack him if necessary.

He found his eyes surveying every part of Robin's arms, shoulders and hands, taking in every muscle that he would need to tense and move in order to fire an arrow at him. His new instincts told him that Robin would probably be too slow.

He flinched as something indented on his lower lip and his mouth opened in surprise even if the action bared his sharpened teeth to the other five men who recoiled. His eyes widened in fear before he could stop himself and he glanced around rapidly as they all drew weapons. Much, Will and Allan pulled swords while Little John pulled a staff from against the wall behind him.

"Stop!" Robin ordered and they relaxed. He met Robin's dark eyes with his own pleading ones. "What's wrong with your teeth?"

He shook his head violently. "I'm not a monster." He spoke for the first time.

"How can we be sure of that?" Robin asked.

"I think I could disarm you and kill you before you saw me move." He told him desperately. "But I don't want to."

"You think?" Robin's eyes widened.

"I've never tried." He told him as a wave of dizziness swept through him. Will saw it and was at his elbow in a second holding him up regardless of Much's protests. "He turned me and then I was sent here. I don't know where I am, I don't know _when_ I am. Please, help me out."

"Turned you?" Robin asked but lowered his bow slightly further.

"He made me a Vampire."

"That's ridiculous!" Will laughed. "Even worse than Witches. The very idea..."

He turned to look at Will with shocked eyes and opened his mouth showing his sharp teeth. Will shut his mouth with a click and his eyes went round. "He's telling the truth." Robin spoke up with a frown as he walked forward slowly and pulled out a small eating knife from his belt. "Hold out your arm."

He recoiled but did as asked. He forced himself to stay still as Robin slash up the inside of his arm. "Robin! What did you..." Will cried out in shock.

"Just look." Robin interrupted him and wiped off his blade. Harry glanced down with the others to see his bleeding arm except that the cut that should be bleeding was already beginning to close over. "They're not like us."

He looked up at Robin with another desperate look and Robin nodded at him. "Will you help me?"

"If you do anything to harm one of my boys I will kill you." Robin told him.

"Please." He told him sincerely. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

Robin simply nodded his head once and smiled at him with a rather roguish grin.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Nottingham – The Manor of Danvers Orion – 2005**

"What did you do to me?" Harry almost outright yelped as Danvers finally let him go. He'd been forced to swallow what felt like two pints of Danvers' blood. He'd seen people bitten by Vampires. The bite itself was the contagious part, if the victim died than the body was taken over by a demon. This was nothing like it though.

"I gave you a way to survive." Danvers told him sadly. "The same as what happened to me so long ago yet only recently."

"That makes no sense." Harry spat.

Danvers shot him that small sad smile again and shook his head slowly. "One day, Harry, you will be on the other side of this conversation and you will understand why I did this to you."

"I'll never be like you!" Harry argued simply for the sake of it.

"There are worse things out there than me." Danvers shrugged off the insult easily before blurring again. Before Harry could work out what was happening he was being held by the arms and Danvers was whispering in his ear. "I am Danvers Orion. _You_ are Danvers Orion."

"That's..."

"Nothing is impossible." Danvers countered quickly. "Voldemort has a new spell. I either had to let him try it on you or simply kill you. He has too much experience for you, Harry. But his experience is nothing compared to mine. I will kill him for us. This is one time I will not be neutral."

"I don't understand." Harry frowned.

"Live our life, Harry." Danvers whispered to him. "This I can give us both. We are Danvers Orion. First of the True Predators."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Sherwood Forest – 1192**

He pulled up the offered trousers and then took the cotton smock that Will handed him and pulled it over his head. "I don't know how much you know about this forest but I'm Robin Hood." He stared at Robin in shock for a moment. He knew he'd been thrown back in time by Voldemort's spell but not to when exactly. He'd known that Danvers had pre-empted Voldemort and allowed the Dark Lord to curse Harry into the past. A way to take him out of the equation without having to try to kill him. Danvers had simply given him a way to survive the centuries. "These are my boys." Robin continued and drew his attention back to him.

He nodded slowly, it was the only response he could really come up with. He'd grown up in the muggle world and unlike the Wizarding children he'd heard about the stories passed on in fairy tales about Robin Hood and his band of thieves. He'd even seen a film. 'Robin' was almost always some forty year old man but this seemed to undermine it all. Before him was a young man his own age and his 'boys' consisted of four others. Three who looked their age and a single older man.

"Do you have a name, Vampire?" Much asked. The way that Robin and Much seemed to accept his being a Vampire worried him. Will, Allan and Little John seemed shocked at the idea so obviously not everyone had heard of Vampires before.

He looked at Much for a moment before turning back to Robin. He nodded slowly and made his decision. It all made sense to him now, their familiarity, that small sad smile. His comments about sharing their life. They were one big cycle. Danvers had turned him and in eight hundred or more years he would turn Harry Potter. A paradox that would confuse even Einstein.

Where had their breed of Vampire come from in the first place? He smiled a sad smile at Robin. If this was the moment that he'd been sent back to then he was truly no longer Harry Potter. "My name is Danvers Orion."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That night**

Danvers, as he decided to think of himself from now on, knew he was in trouble mere moments after Robin had declared the day over and told them all to go to bed. He knew he'd been dizzy for a moment or two during the talk but as soon as he put his head down, back on his cave wall bed, he knew he was in more serious trouble. His vision shifted wildly and the walls seemed to move in on him. His breathing became more rapid, almost as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen into his lungs. For a moment he thought he hadn't really finished turning but he wasn't a fool. He hadn't survived six years as an Auror by being stupid.

It wasn't oxygen that his body couldn't get. The oxygen was plentiful, it was blood that he was lacking. His muscles attested to that as a stitch rapidly spread up his right side. He needed blood to carry oxygen to his cells and he didn't have enough of it. His cells were starved of oxygen and if he didn't get blood soon he didn't know what would happen. Surely it was like a person drowning. His instincts would take over and he didn't want to imagine what he would do to those around him, the easiest sources of blood.

Danvers scrambled off of his bed trying to be a quiet as possible yet he knew that the sentry by the doorway to the cave saw him. Yet he didn't care as Will called after him in shock nor did he bother to check whether the other man was following him or not. He darted through the trees as he began to lose control of his senses. That answered his question though, when his body began to starve his instincts took over and he became the blood-sucking monster he feared. He wasn't there yet but he could feel it creeping up at the edges of his mind.

His mind and body were on only one thing, the scent of a deer almost four hundred feet from the cave. He leapt through the trees and undergrowth as inelegantly as possible at first before his body realised his prey might escape and his stride slowed into a silent prowl. He could smell the deer, he could even hear it snuffling through the undergrowth and soon he could see it with his own eyes.

It barely had time to look around at him before he was holding it down to the floor as his teeth sunk down into its throat. It was a bit messier than he thought was necessary but instincts only went far enough to keep you alive. He teeth tore open the deer's jugular vein and the blood filled his mouth even as it was drawn directly through his incisors and into his own system.

The taste of blood on his tongue was intoxicating and even as the bloodlust faded and his own mind took over he couldn't stop himself. It was almost five minutes of hasty drinking later before the blood stopped flowing and the dead deer dropped from his arms and he staggered back from it.

"Are you alright?" Will asked him. His voice was gentle yet Danvers could hear the shakiness of it. Will had seen what he had done and now he was scared of him. Danvers turned to look at him and saw Robin standing just behind Will with his bow held loosely in his hands yet again. His body instantly assessed Robin's stance again and told him that seated like he was, Robin could put an arrow into him before he could get to Will or Robin.

"It's over." Danvers whispered and pushed his back up to a tree. His tucked up his knees and hugged his arms around them. His body screamed at him for making it even harder to get to Robin before he could shoot but then relaxed as Robin slung his bow over his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Robin, Will. I'll leave tonight."

"Leave?" Robin asked. "And go where?"

"I don't know." Danvers realised he was crying and wiped at his eyes with a sleeve. For the first time he really took in everything that had happened. Voldemort had sent him back several hundred years and Danvers Orion had turned him into a blood sucking monster just so that he could survive all the years and stay a monster. "Maybe you should just put an arrow in me."

"What!?" Will gasped and crouched at his side a moment later. "We don't kill people."

"But what if I lose control?" Danvers pleaded. "You don't even know me! What if I lose it and drain innocent people? Children?"

"I suppose it would be safer just to kill you now." Robin shrugged in the darkness.

"Robin!" Will turned on him in shock.

"Calm down, Will." Robin sighed. "I said it might be safer but we can't do that to you. You're as much an innocent in all of this as anyone else."

"But what if I lose control?" Danvers asked even as he began to shake. Will wrapped him in a hug and Danvers felt himself relaxing into it without even realising it.

"Then we'll stop you." Will told him firmly.

"Please, Robin." Danvers pleaded. "Promise me that you'll put an arrow in me if that happens."

Robin stared at him and Danvers felt something rise through him as their eyes locked. Robin seemed to see it too since his eyes widened. But then it was gone, Robin turned his head to break the connection and Danvers sagged sideways into Will, feeling utterly drained of everything he had. "If it comes to that I won't let a innocent's death fall on your conscience."

"So he's staying?" Will asked.

"Welcome to the band." Robin grinned that roguish smile again. "You're officially one of the boys now."

Danvers was almost asleep by the time he lay down on his bed inside the cave but he noticed that Will, still on watch, sat down and lifted his head into his lap and began carding his hands through his hair. "I saw that look, Danvers." Will whispered to him even as Danvers' eyes began to shut. "Between you and Robin. Don't get yourself hurt over him."

Danvers opened his eyes one last time to stare up into Will's brown eyes and sighed out a sharp breath of defeat before slipping into sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next day**

Danvers sat on a low, thick tree branch that cornered off the small clearing in front of the cave where they had stayed the night before. Allan sat beside him while Will and Much slaved over a porridge that simmered over the fire. Little John sat on a fallen tree opposite while Robin leaned against a standing tree to the right. It surprised Danvers exactly how well the group had accepted him. Only Much looked worried about what he might do. Allan and Little John only treated him with suspicion about his intentions while Will seemed happy to have him there.

It was logical though since Danvers knew from history that Vampires only became widely known in the early 1300's which meant only a select few knew what he was. Still, Robin and Much clearly knew what Vampires were. "How do you know about Vampires?" Danvers asked Robin calmly.

"Much and I had a few run-ins with them in the Holy Land." Robin told him. "They didn't seem to fight on either side. Just attacked both."

"Nasty beasts." Much swore.

"Holy Land?" Danvers frowned trying to remember his history. "Jerusalem?"

Allan snorted in amusement. "Of course! Where else?"

Danvers winced. "So this is the Crusades?"

Robin frowned at him thoughtfully. "What exactly are you, Danvers?"

"I don't know." Danvers admitted.

"You don't seem like a real Vampire." Much eyed him for a moment.

"Why not?" Will asked looking between Much and Robin. "He was drinking blood last night."

The group eyed each other and Danvers shrunk back slightly, clearly Will and Robin had told the others what had happened. Robin pushed away from his tree and sighed. "The Vampires we fought against in the Holy Land only attacked at night and their faces were deformed. The few we captured burst into flames when the sun rose."

"But Danvers is sitting in the sun." Will pointed out.

"Good observation, Will." Robin grinned at him. "He's clearly not the same type of Vampire. I've never met a Vampire that didn't instantly attack but Danvers seems peaceful."

"Why did you trust me straight out?" Danvers asked. "You must have seen my teeth. You knew what I was."

"But I found you lying in the middle of the road in direct sunlight." Robin pointed out. "Yesterday you told us you didn't know when you were."

Danvers winced but sighed. "I grew up in the future." He settled with bluntness.

"Right..." Allan laughed.

"I don't care if you don't believe me." Danvers told him. "I was bitten and then sent back by magic. The person didn't want me to survive."

"You can't expect us..." Much started.

"If I wanted to lie I wouldn't have come up with such a ridiculous story." Danvers told him. "It doesn't really matter where I come from but I've heard stories about the past. I know you're outlaws against the Sheriff of Nottingham who works for a corrupt Prince John. I know you hope that one day King Richard will return."

"That's common knowledge." Little John pointed out.

"What year is it?" Danvers asked.

"Eleven ninety two." Much frowned at him.

"Oh." Danvers frowned. "And King Richard is still fighting in the Holy Land?"

"Yeah." Robin frowned. "At least that's what we last heard."

"It'll be another two years before he comes back then." Danvers frowned.

"What?" Robin flinched violently.

"I don't really know, all I know is that King Richard returns to England in eleven ninety four." Danvers shrugged. "It's all history."

"That's nonsense." Much shook his head. "Once King Richard hears about Prince John he'll return."

Danvers kept it to himself that he knew that Prince John, King Richard's younger brother, would take the throne in 1199 even if he'd be a bad King. He didn't think that Robin and the others could handle that. At least Danvers knew that England would turn out okay in the end. "I know you think I'm insane but I believe what I know. Maybe in a few years you'll believe me."

"Maybe." Much told him less than sincerely.

"It really doesn't matter right now." Will pointed out before standing and offering around bowls of porridge. Danvers accepted his own and eyed it in concern before starting in on it slowly. He didn't really feel the need for it and didn't eat all that much before giving the rest to Allan who seemed rather hungry.

"Can you fight with a sword?" Robin asked him. "Or shoot a bow?"

"I tried a bow when I was younger and I killed a big snake with a sword thirteen years ago." Danvers admitted sheepishly.

"Not much for fighting where you come from then?" Little John asked.

"Not with swords and bows." Danvers told him honestly. "I fought with magic mainly."

"So you're a witch too then?" Allan laughed.

"You're going to have to start believing me at some point." Danvers pointed out but was already beginning to give up. He knew that he'd changed slightly when he'd turned. He couldn't feel the upwelling of his magic anymore so he knew he couldn't use wandless magic and from what he had heard about the True Vampires none of them had ever used magic in a fight. Then again that might be a good thing since using magic in this era would just get him hanged.

"Well I think it's best if we teach you from scratch. See what you can do." Robin announced and flicked his sword and sheathe up from the ground. He chucked it to Danvers who caught it with a Seekers ease before pulling out the sword and studying the light weapon which seemed ridiculously light to him. Allan chucked a sword at Robin and Danvers' training began.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	2. Tragedy in the past

The Slow Passage of Time

Chapter 2; Tragedy in the past

**Sherwood Forest – 1192**

Danvers twisted on instinct alone and parried Will's rather slow attempt at stabbing him but then Robin was there with his own sword. Metal clanged against metal and Danvers sent Robin's sword flying away from the fight and into a tree.

"Ouch!" Robin hopped around a bit holding his wrist. Danvers stumbled backwards in surprise and concern and his inattention to Will cost him when he felt the cold metal of Will's sword against the back of his neck.

"That's cheating." Danvers grumbled.

"Hey! Will's just taking advantage." Robin shrugged but he was still holding his wrist. "Besides you shouldn't allow yourself to be swayed from your objective."

"Maybe that would work if I was actually trying to hurt you." Danvers brushed off Will's sword and stepped forwards. "I actually hurt you."

"Yeah well, you don't know your own strength." Robin shrugged again and flashed him a smile. It was true though. Little John had arm wrestled him and lost, he'd been brought a piece of metal and bent it and he'd already broken Allan's bow when the man had been trying to teach him to shoot.

"You know, Robin." Much spoke up from where he, Little John and Allan were watching their sparring. "He doesn't fight like any Christian I've seen."

"Much." Robin sighed. "I think we've established he's not one of Saladin's spies."

"Could still be one of the Sheriff's men." Much pointed out.

"Except he was dying in the middle of the forest and he's not human." Will defended. "Do you think the Sheriff would even think for a moment about whether to hang something like him?"

"Maybe your right, but maybe the Sheriff would be right to hang him." Much stood up.

"Much..." Robin sighed.

"No, Robin." Danvers shrugged. "He has a point. You've all proven your loyalty, I haven't. You can't tell him I'm not a spy until I prove I'm not."

"How do you prove you're not?" Robin asked.

"I'll just have to not do anything to prove I am a spy." Danvers grinned. "And by the way Much, I don't think hanging me would do much good."

"What?" Much frowned.

"We tried hanging, remember, Much?" Robin asked. "When we let them down they just sat right back up again."

"Oh, that's just not nice!" Allan shivered.

Danvers laughed. Much was overly suspicious but only because he was so protective of Robin who's heart was clearly his biggest weakness. Apart from that the group were a welcoming band of outlaws who always made Danvers smile. They reminded him of his Auror training group. It had been two weeks now since he'd first woken up after his fever and the group had stayed to the forest while they worked out if Danvers would jump any random person. Danvers had had to feed off another deer the night before and the entire group had watched him. He'd fallen into the feeding again and like before the deer was dead before it hit the ground.

It had scared Allan, Much and even Little John but Danvers had sworn that he'd keep trying to do it without killing his prey but knew that killing the deer wasn't the problem. The group hunted for meat all the time and Danvers even ate the meat, it was the blood that bothered them.

In his training he'd shown that he was faster and stronger than anyone and Much and Robin both agreed that he was stronger than the Vampires they'd seen before. Will had even called him a Predator rather than a Vampire and claimed that since he was obviously not the same thing as a Vampire he shouldn't be called it. Danvers had been amused by the claim since it had been his older counterpart that had called him the first of the True Predators. Danvers wasn't even a good shot with a bow yet but he was coming along quickly and Robin had declared that he'd talk to the carpenter in Locksley, where Robin should have been Lord, about getting a stronger bow made.

They could all beat him in sword fighting, though that wasn't too surprising since in this time most people were brought up with swords. The Aurors never training in personal combat and Danvers was left feeling rather unskilled. He knew his magical repertoire was now no longer existent and that depressed him at times. He'd decided not to mention this lose to any of the others, it was clear to him that they wouldn't react that well to that. Robin especially seemed to just see him as an innocent man that had been bitten by a Vampire and the others trusted Robin's instincts.

"We need to get out and do something." Robin announced, bringing Danvers back to reality. "I got word last night that the workers out at the silver mine are striking. I want Will and Allan to go check that out. I'm going to go chat with Marian and see what she might know."

"Oh, I'm sure that's the only reason." Will smirked. Danvers had heard about Marian, both from his friends and from history and he hadn't said a word about it. Marian's fate was rather well known if not vague and Danvers had been both envious and pitying of her. He didn't know if he could do anything to stop it though, obviously Danvers Orion hadn't been able to prevent it the last time.

"Danvers is coming with me." Robin continued with a sharp look at Will to shut him up. "You said you wanted a run."

"Can you keep up?" Danvers grinned a charming smile that made Robin laugh and smile back. Danvers lost his smile as Robin looked away and refused to look at Will and Allan who he could feel watching him closely.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Danvers and Robin ran through the forest. Robin was a finely tuned machine, he moved through the trees with a grace that Danvers had never seen in another person. Danvers found himself having to use his Vampiric grace and speed to keep up with him as he wound between the trees, not keeping to any tracks or even in a straight line.

When they stopped almost an hour later Robin was breathing heavily. Danvers stopped beside him and watched him. Robin's chest was heaving as he drew air into his lungs but then he turned and looked at Danvers in surprise. "Unbelievable!" Robin gasped and Danvers looked up away from the break in his shirt and up into Robin's gaze. He thought he'd been caught staring for a moment. "You're not even out of breath!"

"It doesn't seem so." Danvers told him simply.

"Danvers..." Robin frowned for a moment and Danvers realised he _had_ been caught staring. "I..."

A moment later their eyes met and even the brief stare sent pleasant shivers up Danvers' back but the moment was lost when Robin turned away. Danvers sighed but by the time he'd thought of something to say Robin was walking out of the trees and out of the woods where a long two story building sat just down into the valley. It was surrounded by a small copse of trees and along the road sat a small village. Robin was jogging across the grass and Danvers jogged up to follow him at a short distance.

Robin motioned for him to say hidden in the copse of trees and Danvers hid himself in the shadows of a group of trees with practiced ease. Robin crossed to one of the outbuildings and used a barrel to vault up onto the roof and then from there up onto the building proper. Danvers watched from the shadows of the trees as a young woman in her early twenties appeared in an upstairs window to talk to Robin. Danvers watched their short banter and the small movements from Robin that showed he wanted nothing more than to grab her and take her away.

Eventually Robin slipped back off the roof and made his way back to where he'd left Danvers, looking around even as he walked passed where Danvers had hidden himself. Danvers had never wanted to hide as much as right then. He didn't really want Robin to see him and his ability to blend into the shadows was as strong as he'd ever managed it in the last few weeks. Robin looked straight into the shadow where he hid and then turned to look around.

"Danvers! I told you to wait here!" Robin called quietly, probably knowing that Danvers could have heard him from a mile away.

"I didn't go anywhere." Danvers whispered as he stepped out of the shadow right in front of Robin's face making the other man jump violently and swear.

"Damn, you're getting good at that." Robin whistled in appreciation. "Let's get back."

"What!?" Danvers was surprised. "We're going back?"

"Of course." Robin frowned.

"Then why did I have to come with you?" Danvers asked but a part of him was already answering his question. Robin had wanted to show him Marian, to show Danvers that he couldn't be with him because he was already taken. He just wanted to rub Marian in Danvers' face. Danvers shook his head at Robin without putting his thoughts into words. He stepped backwards between the trees ready to run but Robin reached out quickly and grabbed his arm.

"Danvers. I didn't..." Robin never got to finish though. Danvers just wanted to get out of there and his body did something he didn't know Vampires could even do. The magic in him welled up and Robin's hand closed into a fist as Danvers turned into a black mist and vanished backwards through the trees faster than Robin could follow with his eyes.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Danvers wasn't even sure where he was when he managed to reconstitute his body and the moment he managed it he doubled up and emptied his stomach. The ride hadn't been bad but the feeling of rebuilding his body was more than he could handle. It took him a few minutes to gather his wits and he found himself in a vaguely familiar place. It was just off of the cave where the group had stayed for the first week of his stay. He was in the clearing where he'd killed that first deer.

He sat against a tree and sighed. He was angry at himself for running but he was also angry at Robin for tormenting him. Robin had taken him to that place to rub in the fruitlessness of Danvers' attraction to him. That was the only reason that Danvers could find in his head. Robin was too skilled to need protection in this wood and any of the others could have gone with him.

He heard the snap of a branch and looked up even as his senses picked up the warmth of  humans from just upwind. It was Will and Allan and they were watching him. He could smell their individual scents and they were soothing to his bad mood. "Robin's had us looking for you for three hours." Will told him. "We've got a job to do."

"You know I love you Will but you're dense sometimes." Allan laughed and sat heavily beside Danvers.

"What?" Will frowned.

"He doesn't want to hear about Robin." Allan told Will and nudged Danvers' shoulder with his own. "I knew it was a bad idea to take you to see Marian."

"Oh." Will bit his lip and bounced from one foot to the other and then back again. The movement caught Danvers' attention and he found himself watching Will's weight shift on his feet.

"Yeah, 'Oh'." Allan snorted. "Seriously Danvers, you need to start getting over him. He's been in love with Marian for years."

"That's a bit harsh, Allan." Will frowned at him.

"No." Danvers tensed up. "He's right. Robin took me there just to show me that. I'm not an idiot. But...I've never felt like this about anybody and it's happened so fast. I don't know if I can forget about it."

"It's probably best you try." Allan sighed and leaned his forehead against the Danvers' temple.

"I'll try." Danvers nodded. "If I can't I'll find somewhere else to live."

"You don't have to go." Allan told him without moving.

"I'm going to live forever, Allan." Danvers told him simply. "How can I do that if I have to torture myself."

Allan didn't say anything but leaned in and kissed Danvers' cheek gently. "Me and Will are here for you."

"Thanks." Danvers sighed before pushing himself up onto his feet. He reached out for Allan and pulled him to his feet easily.

"We heard you did a little trick." Will laughed. "Turned into smoke."

"And came here." Danvers winced. "It wasn't all that pleasant, I assure you."

Will shivered and Danvers smiled at him. "What's this job?"

"We found a cart cutting through the forest. Robin wants to hijack it." Will told him. "It should be a good chance for you to test out your skills."

The three made their way to the camp where they found Much, Little John and Robin getting ready to leave. Robin barely glanced at him even though Danvers couldn't help but stare at the side of his face, watching every muscle in his expression as he tried to hide something from them all. Robin could try all he liked to say he only loved Marian but he couldn't lie when it came to his reaction every time he looked at Danvers.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Danvers stood in the eaves of a tree, hidden perfectly within the shadows even if he was standing so that if he'd been human he could have been seen from a mile away. The high box carriage  approached slowly along the track and even as Danvers waited he began to smell the approaching carriage. The horses were obvious to him and he easily separated them from the others. He was trying to work out what the pungent smell from the carriage was when Robin stepped fire an arrow into the seat beside the driver and stepped out with the others to waylay him.

It was then that Danvers realised what it was that he could smell, he'd been trying to work out what one thing smelt like that when the answer was disgustingly clear when he thought about it more logically. He walked out between Will and Allan and he could feel his incisors start to grow, pressing against his lower lip as they were fed by his fury. He'd always hated this aspect of their own history.

Will and Allan turned to him in surprise as he brushed passed them and grabbed the heavy canvas at the back of the wagon and brutally ripped it off. It slid clear and Danvers took in the dozen Islamic slaves crammed within. They were filthy and the smell of them smashed into Danvers' highly tuned senses, making him snarl in anger. Robin went from amusement of the hunt, that always overcame him when doing something seen as illegal to a pale type of anger that changed his entire being from the light-hearted daredevil to somebody that even Danvers might be worried about.

There was a brief scuffle near the front of the wagon as the driver tried to escape but Robin seized him and tossed him towards Danvers who caught him by the back of the neck with a tight enough grip that the man froze instantly.

"Where are you taking them?" Robin asked the man angrily.

"These here, are a special order from the Sheriff of Nottingham." The man spat out at Robin. "To work in the Silver Mines."

Danvers sent the man sprawling across the road and turned to look back at the slaves, all were watching Robin and his men. "What are we going to do with them?" Will asked.

Robin bit his lip and Danvers tore himself away from the endearing way it made the other man look. Robin jerked his head and the others all moved away, by silent agreement Danvers stayed behind to guard the driver and his prisoners. Danvers really didn't know enough about this time yet to come up with a solution.

"They look thirsty." Allan spoke up from just behind Danvers. Danvers half turned to look at him and raised his eyebrows.

"Give them some water then." Robin told him from where he'd been discussing things with the others. Allan looked at Danvers and winced slightly before eyeing the slaves. Robin sighed. "What now, Allan?"

"They might be..." Allan glanced at the slaves and Danvers caught the challenging look that one of them returned. "I mean, they could have the Turk Flu."

Danvers scoffed. He'd heard of that one and while it was feasible that any plague could be Turk Flu the chances of these slaves having travelled this far without showing symptoms was very slim. Then again he'd picked up a few science courses after leaving Hogwarts so he knew how Virus' worked and their incubation periods.

"The Turk Flu doesn't exist, Allan. It's a story to scare people." Robin sighed and tossed Allan a water bottle.

"He's right, Allan." Danvers told him. "If they had a plague then they'd probably be dead by now."

Allan studied Danvers for a moment before moving towards the slaves with the water container in hand. One reached out a hand desperately and Allan handed him the flask before snapping his hand back. The slave fumbled with the top of the container and began guzzling the liquid down his throat.

At that rate they'd soon run out of water before they could all get some so Danvers took out his own water bottle and handed it to the one that had shot Allan that challenging look. That particular one was the only one that didn't look utterly miserable.

"We take them to the mines." Robin declared a few minutes later. Danvers turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. "I don't like keeping them captive either, Danvers, so don't look at me like that."

"Then you have a plan I assume?" Danvers challenged still feeling angry at Robin for that morning's trip.

Robin nodded. "Allan's going to ride up front with the driver to make sure he doesn't try anything."

"Why me?" Allan glanced at the slaves again nervously.

"Because I've got a plan." Robin told him with a smirk. Danvers fell into position as the driver was forced back onto his seat and the wagon began moving again. Danvers and Robin led the way from near the horses' heads and apart from initially being a bit skittish with Danvers so close they soon seemed to realise he wasn't there to hurt them and they calmed down.

With Allan on the driver's seat that left Will, Little John and Much to walk alongside the wagon under the watchful eyes of the slaves within. Danvers was the first to smell it, a burning smell caught on the wind that was driving from behind them. He turned as his hearing heard a crackling of flames and his eyes found the small stream of smoke rising from the back of the wagon. He steadied the horses even as Much noticed the fire a second before the back of the wagon sprung open and a trio of slaves dropped to the ground and started running.

One was clearly stronger, through training or sheer will power Danvers wasn't sure but that one managed to get to the tree line. The other two were caught roughly by Little John and Will while Much stopped anymore from escaping.

"Let them out." Robin sighed as he and Danvers headed towards the rear. "Danvers, go get the escapee."

Danvers bared his fangs in what seemed to be a natural grin of humour and the slaves blanched as they caught sight of his fangs. They might not even know what they are but Danvers was beautiful yet feral looking with his fangs extended. "Don't hurt him." Much told him sharply.

"It didn't even cross my mind." Danvers whispered just loud enough for them all to hear him before he was simply gone. He moved with a speed that left dust to fall behind him. He dodged through trees without effort, slipping through small spaces as he followed the scent of the one that had gotten away.

He found the escapee with ease regardless of the two minute head start and he circled around and appeared out from behind a tree just in time for them to bounce off of him. His hands grabbed arms tightly and his captive was turned back towards the direction of the wagon. His captive was small, only coming up to his chest, with a slight figure but it was the form that caught his attention. His captive was a woman.

Danvers shifted his grip, bringing his mouth down towards her neck even while she tried to struggle. He reached out with his fangs, testing himself as he grazed her skin with his teeth, leaving to fine scratches across her neck. Not enough to draw blood since Danvers didn't know if he could resist that yet. As it was Danvers could smell the blood in her veins, feel it under his teeth as it pumped around and he could feel the heat of the nectar.

He closed his mouth over his fangs and drew his head back an inch, clearly overcoming his desire to feed from her. She'd also gone utterly still when she'd felt his fangs on her neck and by her shaking it was clear she knew what he was.

"Vampyr!" Her accent was strong but Danvers didn't have trouble understanding her, even through her terror.

"Yes." Danvers hissed next to her ear. "Can I assume you won't try to run again?"

"I know how to kill you." Her words were forced, clearly not her first language but she still had a good grasp of English. "I know Vampyr weaknesses."

"Yet you seem to have forgotten what time it is." Danvers chuckled into her ear. "That's one weakness gone, how many of the others would you like to test against me?"

She was rather still from then on and Danvers walked her back to the wagon with a hand on her shoulder. He could see her eyes flitting between the trees, clearly hoping to find a sharp stick lying about for her to use against him, but even if there was one handy, she'd barely be able to reach it before Danvers restrained her and even if by some miracle she got one she still had to outmanoeuvre him to get a clear shot at his heart. Then again he wasn't sure that would kill him, not much was known in his time about Danvers Orion.

He found the others back at the wagon five minutes later. All of the slaves were sat along the edge of the road, guarded by Little John and Much. They all turned to look at Danvers and his captive. Danvers saw Will, Allan and Robin all look at her neck and saw the exact moment with them all when they realised what action those marks betrayed. "Sit down." Danvers hissed to his captive and thrust her down towards her comrades.

"Danvers..." Will whispered as he approached.

"I tested myself." Danvers told him. "I'd rather I slipped with a stranger than with one of you."

"Did you _have_ to...?" Will sighed.

Danvers nodded. "I had to know."

Will shook his head with a sigh but Robin interrupted them. "I have a plan, I want to stop this mine once and for all but I need your help to do it." Robin told the slaves, speaking to the woman especially. "Listen to my plan and if you don't want to help then I'll let you go right now but that'll only mean that more slaves will be brought in your place."

"Your plan?" The woman asked.

"We need to get rid of the guards around the mine, get in and bring down the supports." Robin told her, even though he didn't seem to know she was a woman yet. "Allan will go with you as a slave and then fake his own death due to Turk Flu. The guards won't stick around and risk catching it."

Danvers saw a small smile of appreciation spread across the woman's face and she turned to her fellows and began talking rapidly in a foreign language that Danvers couldn't even identify, let alone understand. She got a round of nods and then turned to Robin. "We shall help you if you aid us in escaping this country."

Robin nodded. "I'll get you out easily enough."

So it was set, Danvers thought, and it proved to be a decent plan. Danvers kept to the side lines because of the number of people around. He didn't want to lose control and since Robin seemed to agree with his decision to watch from the trees he had obviously thought the same thing. He watched for several hours, watching as Allan pleaded with the guards not to leave him with the Turks and then an hour later when Allan crawled up from the mine and faked his death rather effectively.

The guards ran as Danvers had known they would and he walked out from the trees. The others appeared from around him where they too had been hiding and together they began to get the mine ready to burn.

It wasn't long before Danvers heard the sound of horse from up the road and he called Robin's attention. Robin stopped working and drew his bow and Danvers did the same even if he wasn't brilliant with it.

"Are we ready to go?" Robin asked the woman, Djaq. She nodded a tossed a burning rag down the mine shaft and smoke was soon flowing from the opening. Danvers turned as the riders came into view, among them were the guards from before as well as two men that Danvers didn't recognise.

"Robin Hood!" The older of the two men sneered.

 Robin didn't miss a beat and fired his arrow with unerring accuracy. It shot straight passed the man's head, clearly designed to miss yet close enough that the man tumbled side wards out of his saddle. In the confusion as the guards tried to pick him up, Danvers, Robin, Allan, Much, Will, Little John, Djaq and the other slaves ran for the cover of the trees.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**A little later**

"Who were they?" Danvers asked as he and Robin walked slowly amongst the crowd heading into the town of Nottingham. It was nothing like what Danvers remembered. He knew that the castle as it was know would be besieged by Kind Richard when he returned and then it would be razed in the middle of the seventeenth century after the civil war. He knew what stood there in his own time though. The Orion Manor, dark and forbidding as it sat on the top of the hill looking out over Nottingham and the surrounding county that would become Nottinghamshire.

Nottinghamshire was very much Danvers Orion's county. By Royal decree Danvers Orion was the Duke of Nottinghamshire, placing him near the head of the Peerage system, a position given to him in time by King Henry the Third, Richard's nephew who wouldn't be born for almost another twenty years.

Robin shook his head from under his hood before chuckling lightly. "The Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne."

"Guy is the one holding your titles right?" Danvers asked.

Robin simply growled angrily. "Just focus on what we're doing." Robin told him. Danvers shrugged and kept his thoughts to himself. He knew that the Sheriff was trouble but also that in the end he, and Guy of Gisborne, would be executed by King Richard upon his return for a attempted regicide. They were working with Prince John, King Richard's younger brother and slowly gaining power. It would all come to a head when Prince John arranged the capture of the returning King Richard. When King Richard is ransomed Prince John will try to seize control of London unsuccessfully and then he'd run North and hide in Nottingham castle where Richard would track him down, force his surrender and then make the deal to settle the country and he would name John as his heir. John would be generally useless as a King but his son would be a good one.

They walked under the open gates and barely even got glanced at by the soldiers. Robin was wearing a deep hood to cover his familiar features but Danvers didn't need to hide his face. As soon as they were clear of the guards at the gate Robin pulled Danvers into a side alley. Danvers jerked his head and tried not to notice the smell of the place as it assailed his senses. "We need to find Marian and make sure she's safe. Then we can focus on the tournament."

Danvers grabbed Robin's arm as he made to move and Robin froze and watched as Danvers shut his eyes and focused on what he could hear. He'd been amazed how well he could hear within the forest, how he could pick out people talking and one day, much to Allan and Will's embarrassment when he'd told them, the two lovers making love in a clearing almost half a mile away. The two had long since lost any sense of decorum around Danvers though.

He could track every voice in the town to an extent. Most of it was just a mass of noise but his ears could pick out anything familiar and even though he hadn't been paying attention before he had been able to hear Robin and Marian talking to each other at her father's house. Danvers found it all of a sudden surprisingly far away from the main crowd at the tournament. He jerked his head at Robin and took off at a pace he could follow as he explained. "She's being confronted by a young man. He wants to kill her because it will hurt Sir Guy. She's making a rather flowery speech on why he shouldn't."

"Get there now and make sure nothing happens." Robin ordered. Danvers turned as he ran to face Robin's hard look and he felt the wooden tags around his neck. The tags that showed he was part of Robin's group and thus loyal to them. He turned and sprinted away too fast for Robin to see him go.

He came across Marian and the young man in a corridor lining the courtyards of Nottingham Castle and keeping to the shadows he stopped just behind the man and slid out of the shadows. The man didn't notice him but Marian did. Her eyes flickered to him but soon returned to the man's bow and arrow. "Do you really want to kill me? Will it really gain you anything?"

"No." Danvers answered in a whisper from behind the young man. "It won't."

The young man tried to turn to level his bow at Danvers but Danvers was faster. He grabbed the young man's wrists and bent them violently. Not enough to break them but enough that he dropped the bow and arrow with a pained yelp. Danvers held him tightly in a grip he knew a bear couldn't have gotten out of.

"Stop!" Marian shouted at him. "Who are you?"

Danvers levelled a look at her unable to stop himself from baring his elongated fangs at her. The pulse and smell of the young man's blood made his head lower and he found himself sniffing at the skin of his neck, preparing the perfect place to bite. Another set of footsteps alerted him that they weren't alone and he lifted his lust filled eyes to take in pale Marian and a newly arrived Robin. His bow was out and aimed at Danvers over the young man's shoulder. Danvers shut his mouth.

"Have faith in me once, Robin." Danvers said simply. "Just once and maybe you'll like it."

He let go of the man and slipped silently up on the window ledge. Robin's bow followed him but then lowered when he realised what he was doing. Danvers twisted out of the opening and back inside a few windows later, coming to stand silently beside Robin. "He didn't harm her." He shrugged.

"You weren't supposed to feed from him either." Robin countered.

"You wouldn't care so much if he _had_ hurt her." Danvers snapped. "I'm going to have to learn at some point. Would you rather it be her?"

"Don't you dare!" Robin spun on him before blanching when he saw the hurt look on Danvers' face. Danvers had seen the anger in Robin's expression, the concern that Danvers would kill people.

Danvers blurred and was flush against Robin's chest in an instant, though they barely touched. He leaned into his ear. "What do you think I am, Robin?" Danvers asked. "I'm a predator and guess what my prey is. You clearly can't accept that and until you do perhaps I shouldn't be here."

"Danvers! Wait!" Robin tried to reach for him but Danvers was already standing on the window ledge.

Danvers turned to look at Robin and the watchful Marian who was eyeing Danvers with suspicion. "You pine after her yet you're not a priority to her. With me it would be different. Even the others see that. You're blind, Robin. I'd die to protect you, would she?"

Danvers was gone to the wind moments later, a black mist that seemed to disperse into the wind.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

He still couldn't stop himself from throwing up when he arrived at Will and Allan's feet. He'd focused on tracing them and found it just as easy as going to a specific place and as he looked around he realised he had no idea where he was. The two of them were alone, hauling a bag between them. Presumably returning from a hunt since Danvers could smell deer blood. He felt two sets of hands around him and he leaned sideways into the one on his left, smelling Allan's scent as he nuzzled into his chest. He could feel tears on his cheeks and knew by the moment they shifted to hold him that they realised it.

"Robin did it again didn't he?" Will asked quietly and Danvers could feel his hand slip onto the bare skin of his side where his shirt hand ridden up while being held by Allan. "I'm sorry, Danvers but his heart is taken."

Danvers twisted so he could get to his chest and with a sudden jerk he pulled off the tags and dropped them in front of Will. "I can't do this, Will." Danvers sighed. "I'm going."

"You could still stay." Allan hugged him tighter. "We'd look after you."

"But you don't see me that way." Danvers argued. "I know you're willing to help out but you love each other, not me."

Allan sighed and kissed the side of Danvers' head. "Me and Will have been talking, Danvers."

Danvers looked at him properly but it was Will that spoke up. "You said how you'd live forever and be alone. Well, we don't want that if we can help it. Do you think you can turn us?"

Danvers looked at him in shock. "Really? You're sure?"

"We wouldn't say it if we weren't." Allan assured him. Give us a few years and we'll join you."

Danvers leant further into Allan and let Will hug him too. They were like best friends even after only a few weeks and Danvers was overjoyed that they'd let him turn them. "I'm going to Nottingham for a while until all this blows over. You can tell Robin that he won't have to see me again but I'll help when the King returns."

"When?" Allan asked.

"Four years." Danvers told them sadly. "I'm sorry." He added when they flinched.

"Why so long?" Will prompted.

"He'll be captured on his way home next year and held for ransom." Danvers explained.

"We could help him." Allan sat up a bit straighter though didn't let go of Danvers.

"I don't think we should." Danvers shook his head. "Trust me and just let things go as they should."

"I don't like the idea that I have no control over what happens." Will muttered.

"Trust me, I know." Danvers chuckled. "My future self turns me and one day I'm sure I'll turn myself."

Will and Allan both stared at him in surprise before almost together they laughed and kisses him. Danvers didn't complain and let them tackle him to the ground. He just wanted a way to release on the pain and heartbreak that came with being around Robin and both of them knew it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two years later**

Danvers had lived for two years amongst the people of Nottingham. Blending in hadn't been hard and he'd settled in to an old house near to the river that had almost burned down. He'd built it back up, using skills learnt from the different trades around the town. He'd learnt to work with metal and wood in all forms. Learning fast and using his dexterity and strength to its limit to quickly rise in fame within the city. He'd created himself a bow that he normally kept hidden because of it's strange design and also a rather nice sword. He'd been drinking from the denizens of Nottingham once every two weeks for two years and was pleased that there were no rumours about it anywhere.

He'd seen the rest of Robin's men a few times but never allowed himself to be seen. Allan and Will had been his way a few times, even going so far as to track down his home and seeing he wasn't there breaking in. Danvers had hidden from them in the shadows.

It was a simply market day when there were shouts and cries throughout the town and Danvers ran out into the street. He tried to avoid opening himself up to the general noise of the town, he grabbed a small boy who was running passed. "What's this all about?" Danvers asked him.

"The Sherriff's caught Robin Hood!" The kid was clearly half dismayed yet half excited. Danvers released him in surprise and spun in an almost complete circle when he took in a familiar scent. Will was standing in the door of Danvers' house looking at him. His eyes were red and he was shaking.

Danvers was in front of him in a second and pulled him inside. "What the hell happened?"

"The Sherriff has them all." Will gasped out as soon as the door was shut. He pulled off his hood. "He trapped Robin and then captured Allan, Much and Little John when they tried to rescue them. Djaq's trying to get through a drain a few streets away to rescue them but..."

Will trailed off, eyeing Danvers hopefully. "It shouldn't be a problem to get to them." Danvers sighed. "They won't be lightly guarded however."

"It doesn't matter!" Will almost cried. "They stabbed Allan. He's wounded, he could be dead by now."

Danvers' eyes narrowed dangerously at that and he turned and pulled on a black cloak he'd spent a lot of money on. He pulled up the hood. "Go and get Djaq and then both of you stay here. I'll get them out and bring them here. There's a basement door if you move the counter in the kitchen. Get some hot water ready."

"I can help!" Will argued.

"You'll slow me down." Danvers told him simply. Danvers took a few steps backward and almost seemed to flow through the lead slated glass in his front window. He'd practiced this until he was a master at it. It didn't take him long in this form to flow up over the inner Keep walls and down through the corridors into the dungeons. He paused in the doorway, flowing back into a solid form and traced the scents. He could smell that all of them had been down here yet when he walked down it was clear that Robin and Much were being held down to the right while Little John and Allan were to the left. He went for Robin first knowing that he'd have to carry Allan out. Even from here he could smell the sharp and sweet smell of Allan's blood.

He slipped down the corridor and turned the last corner to see three guards standing watching Robin and Much behind a barred cell. He flowed forwards as a mist that made the flames flicker and within an instant he was becoming solid again even as his hands smacked into the first man's head, knocking him out. The other two followed him and he turned to see Robin looking out at him in surprise.

"You came?" Robin gasped.

"Will came to find me." Danvers told him smoothly before stepping up to the bars. He grabbed the door and the cell bars and yanked in different directions, snapping the lock. He turned in an instant and before either could ask he was gone.

He reappeared out of the shadows within Little John's and Allan's cell and even as Little John yelped and grabbed for something to defend himself he was leaning down over Allan. The man was barely conscious and he was paler then Danvers wished to admit. "It's hopeless, Danvers." Little John told him. "I've done everything I can here."

Danvers reached down and easily lifted Allan, pulling him tight against himself just as he heard Robin and Much's approaching steps and the thud of a body hitting the ground. Robin fumbled with the lock for a moment, using the keys from the guard, and then pulled open the door. "How is he?"

Danvers looked at him emotionlessly. "He'll die before tomorrow." He told him simply. He could almost sense the approaching death. "We need to get him out of here and to my house."

"We get out without trouble. Kill if you have to." Robin announced with a hard look on his face. Robin didn't like to kill his own countrymen but he would if it meant helping one of his own men.

Danvers took the lead up through the castle, using his hearing and senses to avoid the majority of the patrols. He let Robin and Much knock out the guards posted at the gates and the group slipped into the town without much more trouble, getting lost in the crowds gather to hear word of Robin.

Danvers led the group back to his home and kicked open the door. He walked up through the house to his own bedroom and softly set Allan down on the bed. He stood and looked at Robin. "I'll do what I can but..." Danvers winced. "You'd better get Will and Djaq up here."

Robin looked so broken in that moment that Danvers wanted to hold him and comfort him but he knew it wouldn't work. Robin pushed Little John and Much out of the room and helped Danvers strip Allan down to his underwear. Danvers did what he could for the stab wound in his lower right chest but without his normal magic he didn't have much of a chance. He was still working when Will and Djaq entered the room and the two collapsed on the bed beside their lover.

Danvers finished and backed away into a corner. Robin joined him there. "Thanks for the rescue." Robin told him.

Danvers jerked his head slightly to look at Robin before looking back at the bed and the three on it. Allan was still slightly conscious but Danvers knew he'd be too confused to know what was happening. "He'll slip into a coma by nightfall and be dead by morning." Danvers spoke loud enough that Djaq and Will turned to look at him with tear-stained faces. "It's up to you but his only chance is to become what I am."

"Do it!" Will demanded. Danvers bared his teeth at him automatically in warning and Djaq paled. Danvers had had very little contact with her but presumably the others had explained things to her.

"You remember what I was like when you first found me." Danvers warned. "I don't know how it works nor what happens to you if you don't survive the change."

"Vampires sometimes become monsters without control." Djaq whispered, looking down at Allan.

"We have to try." Will demanded, standing to confront Danvers. Danvers saw the hurt and anguish in his every move and he sighed.

"Stay for this only if you want." Danvers whispered quietly as he slunk across the room, shirking off his black cloak as he went. He stopped at the edge of the bed and before people knew what he had planned his had leant down as if to kiss the side of Allan's neck. The only difference was that Allan gasped out and braced in surprise, even in his drowsy state. Danvers shuttered his eyes, letting the blood flow through his system, but this time was different, he wasn't drinking it but changing it, mixing it temporarily through his own blood, changing it so he could give a bit of it back.

He pulled away after only a few minutes and looked down at Allan who was staring at him through half-lidded eyes. His skin was cold to the touch and very pale from lack of blood. Danvers pulled a knife from his belt and slashed it across his wrist before bringing the dripping blood up to drip straight into Allan's mouth. He settled down on the bed and lifted Allan's head so he could latch onto his bleeding wrist and drink.

Danvers felt the flood of feelings and if the situation wasn't so dire he might have been embarrassed. As it was he let Allan drink as much as his instincts told him to before pulling away. He sat with Allan as the man fell asleep, looking slightly more healthy. "I don't exactly know how this will work." Danvers admitted. "It'll probably heal him first before it tries to change him but it'll be a few days. I can't suddenly have too many visitors but Djaq and Will are welcome to stay."

"Much, Little John and I will get out of town before nightfall." Robin sighed.

"As soon as it looks like Allan will pull through I'll bring word to you but I'll keep him here with me until he learns to control himself around people." Danvers sighed tiredly and put his head back.

Will moved and helped Danvers lie back with Allan next to him and Danvers was half asleep when Djaq and Robin left the room while Will helped strip him down so he could sleep. Allan's cold body turned into Danvers' side as soon as they were both lying down and he fell asleep that way.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two years later**

Danvers was shopping in the market place in Nottingham when he heard the distant horn. It was loud to his hearing yet it only just caught the attention of everybody else. Nottingham wasn't a very clean and pleasant place to live but he had learned to like it in the four years he'd been in the past. After he'd turned Allan the three had decided to all do it and he'd turned Will and Djaq a few months later once Allan was adjusted enough that Danvers didn't have to watch the two new fledglings.

He'd left the option open to Robin, Much and Little John but it would be up to them to accept it whenever they wished. The horn sounded again and the townspeople heard it more clearly and excited muttering spread throughout the hundreds there. Danvers, clueless about what could rile them all up turned to the vendor over the counter. "What does that horn signify?"

"Didn't you hear the rumours?" The man asked in clear astonishment. "The King was seen approaching the castle hours ago. How could you not..."

Danvers cut him off with a hard look that took the man's breath away. "So that is the King's horn?"

"Have you heard it before?" The man asked as if in answer. "I dare say the dear Sherriff is running now!"

The man was too busy laughing to notice the soldiers within ear shot and the comments against the Sherriff didn't go down well at all. It only took a few seconds before the soldiers were advancing with angry expressions and drawn swords. The vendor tried to make a hasty apology but the soldiers wouldn't accept anything from him.

"Enough." Danvers snapped hauling one of the soldiers back by his collar. The move sent the man sprawling in the mud of the well trodden road. The other soldier spun in surprise but Danvers was faster and had him disarmed with a twisted wrist in a second and he soon joined his friend on the ground. A cheer rose around them but Danvers simply turned to take in the three Predator Vampires that had just arrived on the outskirts of the crowd. They were well hidden with cloaks over their heads but Danvers could smell the fact they were Vampires. They had power and grace that none of the humans possessed.

"What are you doing here?" Danvers asked quietly, his lips barely moving, yet he knew they'd be able to hear him. They weren't as powerful as he was regardless of time but they were still more powerful than any other on Earth. He also completely ignored the cheering crowd and the shouting guards approaching him.

"Robin sent us to warn you that the King is coming." Djaq's heavily accented voice told him.

"Why?" Danvers asked spinning away into the shadows within an alleyway. He didn't have to wait long before Djaq, Allan and Will slipped out of the shadows. Danvers could barely see their approach.

"He, Much and Little John have gone to warn the King that something might happen with the Sherriff." Will told him. "He thought it would be better if there weren't three Vampires with him."

"He might have a point." Danvers admitted. "So, what did he have in mind?"

"Well the Sherriff can't well and good reject the King, all the townspeople know he's coming." Allan pointed out. "But he might still try something a little underhanded."

"He might." Danvers sighed.

"What do you know, Danvers?" Will asked suddenly, seeing Danvers' down beaten look. "Robin wanted to know too. If you're from the future like you say, and we all believe you, then you must know what happens."

Danvers turned away from the three of them. "The King will live, don't worry about that."

"So the Sherriff get's carried off?" Allan asked hopefully. Danvers looked at him sadly, a few years back his brother had gotten caught up in the rivalry between the Sherriff and Robin and he and his two friends had been hung from the castle wall before Robin or even Danvers had realised the trickery.

"I don't honestly remember what happens to him. If I even knew to start with." Danvers shrugged.

"You know something." Djaq frowned at him, ever insightful. "What do you know?"

"It's nothing." Danvers shrugged it off just like he had over knowledge of the future. The three didn't look at all convinced. "Let's get going. Hopefully by the end of the day you can all stop being outlaws."

The three forgot his earlier comments at that and their faces lit up happily. Danvers led them from his house and down through the streets, heading in the general direction of the main causeway where hundreds of people were gathering. They arrived just in time and took a position near to the Keep gates just as the sound of horns blew from the outer wall. It was only a few minutes before Danvers could see approaching horses and he scanned the approaching soldiers. The King had obviously only brought retainers and a couple of personal bodyguards and as Danvers understood it he would have expected to have been able to ride past Loxley and have Robin and his own men join him. When the King appeared it was with Much on one side and Robin on his right, both riding horses. Danvers wasn't sure if the cheers were directed at the proudly sitting Robin or at the King.

He felt somebody grab his right hand and tilted his head to look at Will. "That's a welcome sight." Will gasped out.

Danvers shared a small smile with the other man before turning back. Will let go of his hand just as Robin came nearer to them. Will stepped forwards and lowered his hood and Allan followed suit. Robin leaned over to the King and muttered a few words. Instantly the King turned to take in the two bowing men and nodded. Robin made a come-hither gesture and Allan and Will paused only long enough to wave Danvers and Djaq forward. Danvers walked out, still without his hood, with the hooded Djaq at his side and the four joined the procession behind the King and Robin's horses where they found Little John walking.

As the passed under the Keep gates the Sherriff's guards closed in behind them to stop the townspeople from following. Danvers half turned to see it before focusing back on the two men at the top of the steps into the Keep. The Sherriff had changed into something rather more grander than the King's travelling cloak but Guy of Gisborne wore his normal black ensemble and had, as always, Marian on his arm. Danvers heard Robin's angry breathes and wanted to soothe him. Danvers met Marian's eyes briefly and had to look away.

"Welcome home to England, my King." The Sherriff greeted rather flamboyantly with a deep bow copied by Guy and Marian.

"And such a cold welcoming it has been." King Richard drew himself up in his saddle. "Perhaps let us convene in the Great Hall. We have much to discuss before I travel to London."

"Of course, my King." The Sherriff backed off and turned to lead the way inside. The King dismounted, followed by Robin and Much and together the group walked up the steps and into the Keep.

The Great Hall was lit and heated with sconces but over than that it looked less than warm and welcoming. The King sat himself down in the main chair and gestured for Robin to take his place at the side of the chair. Robin moved his sword sheathe in a clear gesture that none of them missed.

"Who are these others, Robin?" The King asked, showing his familiarity with Robin by using his first name.

"Others wronged by the Sherriff. They have been loyal to me since my return." Robin announced. "Allan A-Dale and William Scarlet of my district of Loxley. "John, who was exiled long before my return from the East for trying to help the starving and finally, Danvers Orion and Djaq.

At the mention of their names Danvers bowed his head slightly while Djaq removed her hood. The King tensed and looked sideways at Robin. "A Saracen?"

"I may have fought against you for my own King," Djaq knelt at Danvers' side, "But I am loyal to Robin, who rescued me from slavery. I have no desire anymore to return to my home."

The King nodded slowly and glanced at Danvers. "A mere passerby, my King. Though I found myself concerned over the injustices carried out by the Sherriff and his faithful retainers."

"Ah yes, perhaps you would like to explain this to me?" The King turned to the Sherriff. "And mind you, Sherriff, that I have travelled far and been held for ransom for the past two years. I am in no mood for trickery or lies."

"I assure you, King Richard, I would do no such thing." The Sherriff told him.

"You see, Sherriff, all I have to go on is the word of two men. Thus I find myself trusting the man that took a sword to the stomach in order to save my life." The King said simply and it was like a death bell in the large room. "Guy of Gisborne, you stand charged with the attempted murder of your King. Sherriff, you stand charged for conspiring against your King. How do you plead?"

Danvers was the only one ready for it when it happened. Neither of the two men seemed to see a reason to try to talk their way out of their problems and both dove into activity. The difference in their auctioned belied their characters though. While the Sherriff dove for the door Guy drew his sword. Danvers shifted into motion to catch the Sherriff and realised only once he had the man that he'd made two mistakes. The Sherriff wasn't completely stupid and had drawn a knife which was quickly plunged into Danvers chest. The second mistake was that he should have gone for Guy who was trying to attack the King.

Djaq, Will and Allan were the only ones that could have been fast enough to disarm his thrown knife but they were taken by surprise. The only one there that dove into motion was Marian, standing on the King's left she stepped in of his trapped form.

Danvers spun on the spot throwing the Sherriff clear across the room into the far wall where he collapsed bonelessly to the ground. Danvers turned back in time to see Robin lowering Marian to the ground even as Will and Allan restrained Guy with vice like grips. The King was on his feet but his focus was on Marian and nothing else until Danvers approached. His eyes settled on the knife in Danvers' chest and his face paled as Danvers pulled the knife out and before the King's eyes his chest healed over without a single blemish.

"Impossible!" The King gasped, stepping back.

"A Vampire!" Guy gasped.

"Sire." Robin called his attention from where he was cradling Marian's head in his lap. "We need a physician!"

The King snapped something at one of the retainers who had appeared in the door and he rushed back out of the room. Danvers knelt at the dying girls side and put his hands around the knife with a sigh. "I should kill you, Vampire." The King interrupted and Danvers felt a sword at his neck. He'd noticed it since the King had picked it up but chosen to ignore it.

Danvers stood slowly and the King kept his blade at Danvers' throat, probably ready to behead him. "If you do that you'll still be faced with three Vampires." Danvers hissed, showing his teeth. "And if you haven't noticed I'm not a normal Vampire. We met outside in the sunlight."

"He's speaking the truth, Sire." Much spoke up respectfully. "We found him during his change and he'd helped us many times and turned our friends when one of them was dying."

Danvers was surprised that Much was taking his side and nodded at him gratefully. "Danvers, turn her!" Robin's hysterical voice cut into the anxiety riddled moment and Danvers turned to look down at Marian. She was unconscious and very pale and the blood over her dress was far too thick to be good. Danvers knelt again and inspected the wound.

"She's too far gone, Robin." Danvers spoke quietly, yet his words reached everywhere. "I'm sorry, Robin, but she'd die before I could get any of my blood into her."

Robin growled angrily and Danvers realised with a jolt that he was angry at Danvers. Danvers stood slowly but Robin lost interest and before Danvers could think of anything to do he was crying over Marian's body as she breathed her final breath.

"Danvers." Djaq touched his arm and Danvers tore his eyes away from the distraught Robin.

Danvers turned to the King. "I think you've seen everything you need." He said shortly. "Vampire or not I'd suggest you stay away from me and my kind."

"Is that a threat?" The King drew himself up.

Danvers twisted forwards only thinking about getting away from Robin's gasping cries as soon as possible. He burst into black mist inches from the King's shocked face and was soon streaming across the sky. He sped up until he was going too fast to be seen, heading as far from Robin and the tragedy he'd known was going to happen but couldn't stop.

He knew from that point on things would change. He'd never be a Blacksmith again and Robin and his men would never be outlaws again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	3. Eight Centuries

The Slow Passage of Time

Chapter 3; Eight Centuries

**Nottingham Castle – 1940**

Nottingham wasn't quiet in any sense of the word, the air-raid siren shattered the silence in every direction and echoed around the area. But apart from that wailing the night was quiet to the human ear. To the single figure on the walls around Nottingham Castle though the air was filled with a variety of sounds. The Predator Vampire that answered to many titles but one name could hear the sounds of thousands of people heading for bomb shelters and the anti-aircraft gun crews heading for their weapons and could see the few lights permitted within the city blink out of existence, shrouding the city in darkness. As all fell silent and the wail of the siren finally ended the Duke that governed the city of Nottingham and a large portion of Nottinghamshire could make out the dull rumble of airplanes to the west.

He shut his eyes for a moment before turning to the door of one of the two towers that guarded the gate through the wall around Nottingham Castle and headed down to the grounds within. He walked towards his manor house, or what was called Nottingham Castle, eyeing the two plinths that were raised above the ground to see over the walls and noted the readiness of the gun crews manning the two Bofors anti-aircraft guns on top of them.

The 'Castle' was around six hundred years old, made of black granite from Spain. Danvers Orion, the then Duke of Nottinghamshire and now just Duke Orion, had built it in place of Nottingham Castle, replacing the castle that the Sherriff had ruled from and it had stood above the city for six hundred years, a testament to the rule of the Orion family though only a few knew that the Orion 'family' was just Danvers living through the almost eight hundred years of his life so far, closing on his own birth.

The three story building, with its tall pitched slated roof, was ominous to anybody else but to Danvers and his friends it was their home and it was a symbol of power and antiquity to every British citizen who couldn't forget their roots with it there and the importance of Duke Orion to the British Peerage system. Danvers had scared many an architect in the fourteenth century with the rather gothic design but by the time of the Victorians it had been a wonder.

The doors were open and as he moved beyond the sentries on duty they shut the doors. It was already quiet within the manor regardless of the two hundred rooms and one hundred children that lived there, protected from the war and away from their London homes. He'd taken in the refugees and although Nottingham had its few raids now and then it was nothing compared to the nightly raids on London. Eventually he walked into his favourite room of the manor, it was a study really, with desks, chairs, walls filled with books but also relics of the centuries behind them all and at the far end was his treasure. His own pipe organ.

He sat on the bench, ignoring the light that flooded the windows of the mansion as the searchlights cut through the darkness of the night, turning the clouds into a white sky. He ignored the sound of aircraft and the sounds of heavy and light anti-aircraft guns as he put his fingers on the keys and his feet on the plentiful pedals of the pipe organ whose pipes filled the entire end of the room, dwarfing the room under the brass pipes and began playing the only organ music he remembered from his human childhood. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. It didn't matter to him that there was a Blitz going on above his city, nor that under the clamour of artillery and aircraft engines everybody could hear the sound of his organ. He just lost himself in the music as his centuries of practice and natural ability lent itself to an unheard of quality to the music.

He took note of the figure behind him, just in the doorway. One of the reasons that he played the organ was that it took away the ability for him to hear anything but the music. There was just so much depth to the sound that he couldn't pick out anything under it unless it was loud like the war outside. Therefore he couldn't hear the person behind him, only see them in the glossed reflection of the large pipe out of the corner of his right eye. She watched him play for almost an hour until the Blitz ended and Danvers brought his sixth piece of music to an end.

"You've got guests, Danvers." She told him and Danvers turned on the bench to look at his very old friend.

"What type of guest, Djaq?" He asked.

"A Wizard that didn't take care to arrive after the bombing." She shrugged.

"That narrows it down." Danvers pointed out as he slowly stood and walked towards her.

"He calls himself Albus Dumbledore." She told him. "I've seen him in the House of Lords. He teaches at Hogwarts."

"I know who he is." Danvers dipped his head.

"Have you met him before?" Djaq asked him and Danvers knew what she was asking. Were they close enough to his time for him to have seen this man before he became a Predator Vampire. None of them knew when he came from and he didn't plan on telling them until it was obvious to them all. He wasn't going to give her a hint though so he miss-interpreted the question.

"I saw him a few years back at the King's Gala night." Danvers admitted even though he knew it would annoy her. "We did not speak."

"He is waiting with Will, Robin and Much." She told him rather more abruptly than before.

Danvers stopped at her side as he made to pass her and leant over to kiss her on the cheek in apology. She sighed and turned to follow him. "Where is Allan?" He asked, asking after the sixth and last Predator Vampire in existence.

"He went out into the city to aid the rescue workers about ten minutes ago." She told him as they walked through the house. Now that the air raid was over Danvers could hear the sound of children spreading up from the cellars, tunnels and bomb shelters built into the rock formation that the manor sat upon. "A few bombs managed to strike the industrial sectors. One of the store warehouses was struck."

Danvers didn't comment as they arrived at the sitting room where his more informal guests were taken to and he paused silently in the doorway to look over the three other Predator Vampires. Allan had been the first that he'd turned and the only one to be turned under duress after he'd been mortally wounded. Will and Djaq had asked to be turned so that they could join their lover a year after that but it wasn't until almost five years later that Robin and Much had come to him, seeing him for the first time since Marian's death and asked him to turn them. Much had almost not made the turning by nothing more than chance and because of that Robin had admitted that Danvers hadn't had a chance in turning Marian after she'd been so badly wounded but over the centuries their relationship had remained in limbo. They loved each other but Robin never let himself become attached to Danvers. They'd been together a few times but normally only after one of them had been away for a long time travelling the world.

Djaq had once told him that she believed that Robin didn't want to get into a deep relationship with Danvers until he was sure of where they belonged in the world but after almost eight hundred years the only thing left in Danvers life that was unresolved was his other self. The one that wouldn't be born for another four decades. That left only one of the original band of outlaws. Little John had chosen to remain human so that he could raise his son along with his wife and he'd died at the age of fifty-eight, rather old for a human of the time but that had been because Robin had been able to watch his health and help him and his wife along at times.

In all the years Djaq had never become pregnant with either Will or Allan and by the time technology reached the point where that could be examined they didn't bother looking into it and just accepted it as one of those things you couldn't help.

"Lord Dumbledore." Danvers greeted making the man jump slightly and turn in his seat to look at Danvers who walked into the sitting room, waving him back into his seat. Danvers studied the Wizard as he moved across to sit in a leather chair of his own.

"Duke Orion, it's a pleasure to finally be able to speak to you." It had been a long time since Danvers had seen Dumbledore and even though some of his memories of the man had been pushed to the side he still remembered the old Wizard of almost a hundred and this forty year old Wizard in front of him was a far cry from the eccentric man but in a few years this man would defeat his childhood friend, Grindlewald, and claim the title of the most powerful Wizard since Merlin. A title that Harry Potter would threaten in his early Auror days before being captured.

"Is it not rather late for social calls, Lord Dumbledore?" Danvers asked.

"And you arrive in the middle of an air raid?" Much spoke up.

"Such matters do not concern me." Dumbledore told them. "I can protect myself from Muggle weaponry."

"You assume." Danvers cut in. "Yet rarely have I seen somebody survive a hit from a bomb dropped from an airplane."

"Yet you have seen it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him in humour.

"Do not become complacent Dumbledore." Danvers said emotionlessly. "And do not assume that because I look to be in my early twenties that I do not have wisdom and experience to impart to you."

"I apologise, your Grace." Dumbledore bowed his head as was proper for a Lord of the British Peerage when addressing a senior ranked Duke. Especially when you took into account that the Wizarding sector of the House of Lords was still based on the hereditary system whereas the Mundane sector went by election or by appointment by the Monarchy which is why Danvers was a Duke, Robin was a Marquis and Djaq, Allan, Will and Much were Earls or a Countess as the equivalent in Djaq's case.

"I assume you had a reason for travelling here during a war?" Danvers asked.

"I had wanted to speak to you before your guests arrived." Dumbledore spoke but by the stress at the word guests he clearly didn't approve of some of the people that frequented the manor.

"You mean you wished not to be faced with Demons?" Robin asked. "You must be aware that no action can be taken against a guest of this house under any circumstances. Even if it were Hitler himself that walked the halls. You would have been safe in their presence, no demon would risk their life by breaking our rules."

"I do not fear such things." Dumbledore defended his own honour, not realising that Robin was merely baiting him. "It is also because I leave on the dawn. I have studied long and hard while working within Hogwarts but I do not believe myself capable of facing Grindlewald successfully. I wish to travel and learn so that when I return I can face him and end our war."

"Your war?" Much bristled. He, most of all among them, resented the Wizard's desire to segregate themselves. To wage wars as if they were removed from the rest of the world.

Danvers looked at him and the matter was dropped. "Why do you assume that you must face your childhood friend in this?" Danvers asked getting the shocked flinch from Dumbledore that he'd expected. The well covered surprise from his friends went noted but none would admit to not knowing this information while Dumbledore was there.

"How did you know of that?" Dumbledore asked, tensing.

"I have been around for a long time, Lord Dumbledore." Danvers told him in way of answering. "Answer my question and perhaps I can be of service to you in the way that you seek."

Dumbledore was surprised again by the fact Danvers had seen right through him. "We have history together and I feel it to be my duty to deal with him. I owe it to the boy I once knew."

Danvers merely nodded to him. "You seek Merlin's Templar?" Danvers asked but he already knew he was right.

"I wish to study it on my travels, learn from it and learn from everything else I can." Dumbledore told him. "It contains many different ways to view and wield magic. Ways I must know if I'm to be successful."

Danvers nodded and turned to Will, sitting on their left. Will didn't need prompting and stood to leave the room to retrieve the book. "You understand what might happen if this book is taken from you. It is knowledge of the greatest nature in anybody's hands. It will not serve you well in the hands of your enemies."

"I will protect it for you." Dumbledore nodded. "I will return it to you once I have defeated Grindlewald."

"I am neutral in this civil war of yours, Lord Dumbledore." Danvers chuckled. "If Grindlewald had a good enough reason to request that book I may have given it to him instead of you. How you use it is up to you."

Dumbledore was clearly concerned by Danvers' rather frivolous view on the Wizarding World's war but he knew better than to comment on it. "I have faith in your skills, Lord Dumbledore, and I wish you well in the future." Danvers told him before standing up from the chair. Dumbledore rose out of respect and bowed his head once more and Danvers almost glided from the room, trusting his friend, Will, to deliver the book to Dumbledore and the others to see him out.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Hall of Nottingham Castle had a rather decorative air to it, it had a high ceiling crisscrossed by arches with the columns running down the sides of the room. There was nothing magical about Danvers' home but it still held the air of power and that regal touch that came with age and importance. It was lunch time and the room was filled with people, mainly children who were staying in the house and hadn't been taken into town on the weekend for entertainment. He, as well as Will and Allan were sitting in high-backed leather chairs near the end of the hall around the fireplace chatting to the General of the Home Guard for the city about the last night's raid. Sitting at another set of chairs near the windows were a lot of the older children as well as their younger siblings and prominent there were the Royal Highnesses Princess Elizabeth at fourteen and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, at ten. They were staying in Nottingham by request of their grandfather, the King, while the rest of their family went to stay with other family members around the country.

The reason they'd come to Nottingham Castle was because Grindlewald was showing an interest in the older Princess and Danvers could protect her. The rest of the room was filled with guests ranging from Lords of different areas and even a couple of Vampires that he could see Will keeping an eye on.

"In all there were only five deaths from last night's raid, three of my men and two civilians who didn't get into shelters." The General sighed. "We're salvaging what we can from the warehouse but a lot of it was burnt." He made to continue but the sound of the door slamming open stopped him.

Danvers glancing in the mirror over the fire and slowly stood when he saw who it was in the doorway. The tall figure wearing a hooded dark blue robe was escorted by two black robed figures yet none wore masks. Danvers sighed and moved away from the chairs as the room went silent and the children pressed back against the walls.

"Duke Orion." The tall figure greeted him coldly, walking further into the room.

"Welcome to my home, Grindlewald." Danvers said with equal coldness and his ears picked up the gasp from the right of the room. Grindlewald turned to look at the girl, Princess Elizabeth, who had recognised the name.

"Ah!" Grindlewald smiled. "I had hoped to see you here, Your Royal Highness."

Out of seemingly nowhere Allan appeared between the two Princesses, standing in plain view as a threat. He'd moved without prompting and so fast that he wasn't even a blur to the normal humans in the room. "They are here as my guests, Grindlewald."

"You are supposed to be neutral are you not?" Grindlewald tried to reason. "Why not let me take the girls? You will be rewarded."

Danvers bared his teeth and the fangs were easily visible making the three men go pale. "I am neutral in all things beyond the protection of this country. And I have a sworn oath to protect the Royal Family of this country."

Danvers saw the three men playing with their wands and half turned his head to Will. The silent request was accepted and Will took a sidestep and vanished from view. Grindlewald flinched and he and his men looked around the room only to find Will behind them. One raised his wand but Will grabbed the wand and snapped the man's wrist before disarming the other guard.

"I assume you came here on the trail of Lord Dumbledore and not to kidnap Princesses under my charge." Danvers spoke as he silently walked towards Grindlewald. "Dumbledore was here last night but he is long gone now. Never bring your war into my home again, Grindlewald or you shall find yourself outmatched and your war over."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**House of Lords – 1974**

The Duke of Nightmares as he had become known throughout the country made an imposing figure as he and his allies in the House of Lords split the crowd on the way out of the most recent important session of the House. It was well known that Danvers Orion was one of the most influential people in the House and things only got done if he agreed with them. Politically he was one of the most powerful people in the country and only a few people really held a higher vote than he did. The Queen being one of them and possibly the Prime Minister because of the backing of his Party. Danvers normally left his vote up to the Countess Djaq since she actually paid attention to the day to day shifts in the political world and Danvers only showed up when something of importance was being voted on. In this case it had been the threat of a shift of power in the favour of the Prime Minister that Danvers and his friends didn't agree with. When it had become known that Danvers Orion was going to vote in favour of the Queen retaining more power from the Prime Minister there was a major shift in the polls and they had just thrown the movement out.

"Danvers Orion!" A voice yelled to him and Danvers turned his head to see a reporter waving a microphone. There was a massive flock of reporters outside the door and unfortunately part of his fame came from the press and his reputation and it was they who had given him the nickname of the Duke of Nightmares because his manor and his no-nonsense attitude to getting things done. Danvers decided to answer her question and as he stopped the other, more flamboyantly dressed, members of the Peerage spread out to listen including his opposition. Djaq, Robin, Much, Will and Allan stopped beside him and Danvers could see a few of the Wizarding members of the Peerage lurking together.

"You have a question?" He asked the woman, a human.

"I think we'd all like to know why you voted so strongly to abolish this, even after it was passed through the House of Commons?" She asked.

"And you are?" Danvers asked making Robin and Will cover their laughs.

"I'm Annita Davis, BBC news." She told him.

"I prefer the tried and tested." Danvers said simply. "Her Majesty, the Queen, has successfully been in power for twenty-two years without trouble whereas Prime Ministers come and go. I prefer to retain power where I know it is put to good use."

"Do you have something against the current Prime Minister?" She asked him.

Danvers smirked at her and turned to Djaq and offered her his arm in way of dismissing the interview. He never answered questions like that. He made his way out of the crowd and easily realised that they were being followed into the lounge by Baron Dumbledore, given the title after his defeat of Grindlewald, almost three decades ago. He was looking older and more like the eccentric old man of Danvers' early years. But at least he toned down his attire when in places like this though not as much as the Predator Vampires did in their rather ominous clothing.

Danvers took a glass of red wine from a waiting man and soon the ground had merged with Dumbledore's group of eight Wizards and Witches. Dumbledore had voted with Danvers against the movement but five of the other Wizards and Witches had voted in favour and Danvers knew it was because it would not only give the Prime Minister more power but also the Minister for Magic which in Danvers' view was just another reason to throw it out. The Queen was Monarch over both populations and Danvers governed the demonic population for her or rather he kept it in check for her and she knew all about that.

"Was your decision in any way to do with retaining power from the Minister for Magic?" Dumbledore asked him.

"Like I told the reporter, I prefer power to remain where it is proven to be well used." Danvers told him simply.

"Like with you?" One of the other Wizards sneered and Danvers sighed. It would always be the same with Wizards and their superiority. All of the House of Lords knew of the Wizarding World and unfortunately that allowed the Wizarding Peerage to act as pompous as they liked. If it wasn't for Dumbledore's presence amongst the Wizards they'd never get anything done. Actually that wasn't true, Danvers would use his own heavy hand to silence them.

"Baron Dumbledore?" Danvers looked straight at him. "You currently teach a boy by the name of Sirius Black?"

It was vicious of him to bait the Wizard that had insulted him but amusing all the same. The Wizard was the Lord of the Black estate. A position which gave him a minor position amongst the Peerage, barely enough to cast a vote. The mention of his grandson was a slap to his face since he had run away from home almost a month ago and the Wizarding World had been looking for him ever since.

"We are looking for him." Dumbledore nodded. "It is one of my greatest concerns to bring him back to safety as soon as possible."

"The boy has some common sense it would seem. He found the one person that could protect him from the intrigues of the political world." Danvers smirked, showing pointed teeth. "He was picked up at my Manor House in Nottingham three weeks ago and has been under my care ever since."

"I demand you return him immediately!" Lord Black fingered his wand and at that very movement both Will and Allan tensed, straightening up in such a way that the Wizards got the idea that they'd be dead before they could raise their wands.

"He is not being retained against his will I trust?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course not, he is free to leave whenever he wishes." Danvers made a rather blasé gesture. "I shall send you an invitation and you may come and collect him, Lord Dumbledore. I believe he has no desire to return to any of the Black Estates."

"You're not permitted to do such a thing!" Lord Black growled at him.

"I have done nothing." Danvers smirked again. "I have only allowed a runaway to eat from my table and take shelter from the British climate. I cannot control how stubborn he is about leaving."

"You're table!?" Lord Black went white in horror and Danvers let a flash of amusement cross his face before he turned his expression cold once more.

"Now if you don't mind. I have a function to attend shortly." Danvers nodded to Dumbledore and the two others that had voted against the movement and then the six Predator Vampires left the room and headed for their cars.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Portsmouth had always been a bustling port city and as, the next day, two Rolls Royce cars arrived at the commercial dock there was a rather a lot happening in the port but amongst all the ships there sat a sleek black Azimut Luxury Yacht with its small crew preparing for it to launch. After they boarded the ship slipped from its mooring and began its short voyage to their actual destination. A two hundred metre long Ocean Liner with its black hull, white superstructure and three sleek red funnels. It looked almost like the Titanic only a little smaller and in a completely different age. Danvers Orion used her for events and she was constantly in use by one group or another yet always under Danvers or one of the others. It acted as a safe haven for the current Wizarding Civil War and was always a place that took in people with nowhere else to go.

It sat in the water just outside the Solent Island Forts under its own power. A large private yacht sat alongside her and two small patrol boats run under Danvers' own private security as a large black helicopter sat on her stern. Danvers accepted a slip of paper from one of the crew and laughed at its contents. He passed the message to Robin when he got a strange look. The Wizards had broken into Nottingham Castle in search of Sirius Black but they weren't going to find him there. Danvers had sent him directly to the _Predator_ to keep him safe though it was rather on the painful side to see him alive and well after losing him in the future.

The Yacht moored up alongside the slowly moving ship and the accommodation ladder was lowered into position and they boarded without much effort before the two yachts broke away. Danvers eyed the white yacht and recognised it as the private yacht of one of his guests, the Duchess of Norfolk and incidentally the financer of the Watchers Council. An organisation of scholars and Wiccan Witches that trained a superhuman called a Slayer who's duty was to hunt down Vampires of the normal kind. Danvers had had many run-ins with the Slayers throughout the ages. There was only ever one and once that one died another took over and on occasion they got it in their heads to come after Danvers or one of the other Predator Vampires only to discover that their Watchers had been right and the Predator Vampires were beyond their abilities to match or defeat. Danvers had killed two in the last eight hundred years in defence of himself or his friends and Djaq had killed another when she'd been attacked.

The Watchers Council and Danvers' friends had been at war for almost thirty years in the fifteenth century when Danvers had returned to Great Britain and built his life but since then they'd lived in tandem with each other although they had never agreed on Danvers' neutrality when it came to the existence of Vampires and Demons but Danvers did not permit any fighting within his Manor or on his ship even if the Slayer came face to face with a Demon.

Danvers was greeted by the ship's Master and after a quick chat about their destination he let the man go about his duties as he made his way into the large ballroom in the centre of the ship. He heard the ship speed up as they walked and it heeled ever so slightly as Danvers, Djaq, Robin, Much, Will and Allan walked into the golden Ballroom with its enormous skylights. The ship was new, only a few years old, but it was built with the future in mind and Danvers knew what would come with the future and knew that this ship would survive the times, changing as the technology changed but he remembered it from when he was eight on a trip to Weymouth with the Dursleys. It had been sitting at anchor out in the bay with lights all over it and Danvers had wondered who it had belonged to. His Uncle had muttered something about pompous politicians and cursed before tugging them away.

Danvers approached the end of the Ballroom where two seats had been set up and the crowd that filled the room separated to let the six figures approach. Danvers bowed low to the only person in the country it was required of him and the woman stood up and smiled at him. Danvers kissed the back of her hand. "Your Majesty, I am sorry for the delay in arriving but I had a situation come up on the way back from London that required my attention."

"It is of no matter, Duke Orion." Queen Elizabeth smiled. "My children have been having a joyous time exploring your ship."

"I do not believe they have been up to too much trouble." The man at her side stood up and offered his hand. Danvers took it as the others greeted the Queen and Prince Phillip with practiced ease.

"I am sure they haven't." Danvers nodded to the Prince.

"Though your temporary ward has been trying." The Queen laughed. "The young Wizard has been trying to teach Charles how to prank."

"The young Black is a handful according to my sources." Danvers nodded.

"He seems to be quite happy looking after them all." She shrugged it off.

Danvers turned to Robin. "Could you go and collect the young Black?" Robin nodded and walked out of the room at a normal pace and Danvers knew that as soon as he was out he'd use his heightened senses to search the ship for the sixteen year old Sirius. "The Lord Black was not amused that I had been looking after his grandson for the last three weeks."

"I imagine not." She nodded.

"Baron Dumbledore has been sent an invitation to bring him here to collect the boy. I trust he will find him a place to remain." Danvers informed her. "They should arrive soon."

"Please, Duke Orion, have a seat. This is your ship after all." The Prince offered and Danvers and the others sat around on the chairs available to talk to the Queen and her husband about the recent events in the House of Lords as well as the Wizarding Civil War that was encroaching on the normal World.

It was almost an hour before the doors were opened by members of the crew and Dumbledore, as well as a Wizard he didn't quite recognise and a younger version of James Potter. At almost the same time a side door opened and Robin came through with Sirius held tightly by the elbow. Evidently he hadn't wanted to be collected but when he saw the sixteen year old James he got free of Robin, though only because Robin let him go, and ran over to hug his best friend.

Dumbledore and the Wizard approached the seats at the end and saw the Queen and their eyes widened in surprise. "Your Majesty." They both bowed to her.

"Rise." She said regally, making Danvers grin. She had quite the humorous side in situations like this.

"I see you took the invitation?" Danvers asked from where he was sitting.

"Thank you." Dumbledore nodded. "This is Charles Potter and his son, James, Sirius' friend from Hogwarts."

"I trust then that you have found a reasonable place for Sirius Black to go rather than home?" Danvers asked.

"My wife and I love Sirius like he was our own son and James and Sirius are like brothers. We shall look after him for as long as need be." Charles, Danvers' own Grandfather, promised him and Danvers nodded.

"It is a surprise to see you take such an interest in the boy's well being." Dumbledore put in with a frown and Danvers saw the instant that his friends caught this curiosity and he saw quite a few of them look at him in their own curiosity. It was rare for Danvers to do such a thing. "What is your interest in the lad?"

"I have known the Duke since the War, Baron Dumbledore." The Queen spoke up. "And not a few times has he taken in a child who has nowhere else to go. You may remember that it was he and his allies that took myself and my sister in during the War to protect us from Grindlewald."

"Of course, You Majesty." Dumbledore back-pedalled and Danvers almost laughed at how quickly the Queen had shot him down for his curiosity.

"If you'd like you may stay for dinner in a few moments." Danvers offered as if he hadn't been put in the spotlight. "My yacht will return you to shore afterwards if you'd like or I can allocate you rooms for the night. We shall be arriving in London tomorrow at around noon if you'd like to go from there."

"If it's not too much trouble, Your Grace, I would like to be returned to shore with my son and Sirius so we can take him home." Charles Potter requested. "Perhaps the boys would like something to eat first though."

"That can be arranged." Danvers nodded. "Dinner will be held shortly. Ask at the door and the crew will show you to somewhere where you may clean up before we start."

Danvers ignored the looks he was getting from his five friends and turned to hold a conversation with the Queen as Albus Dumbledore, Charles and James Potter and Sirius Black were guided out of the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**1986**

Danvers pulled up at the side of the park in the middle of the day and turned off the engine to his Porsche and let the silence of the area flow over his ears though silence to him meant a multitude of sounds he could make out. He had tried to not come here today but something in him made him want to so badly that he had gotten into his car in Nottingham and driven down the country to Surrey.

He got out of the car and locked it before heading for the trees of the park, moving through them just like he had done with Robin and the others back when they were Outlaws, when this had all started. They'd come a long way since then. Danvers had gone travelling for almost a hundred years before returning and after meeting up with the others they'd saved the King of the time even though Danvers had already known they would. That was what had gotten Danvers his Dukedom and all of the positions they held within the country. Over the years Danvers had governed in the best way he knew how, making moves into industry on occasion, supporting things as they took off that he knew would be a success and building up the wealth of his city and Dukedom until the twentieth century where he'd made himself much more neutral than ever before knowing that if he didn't remain firm to that decision he'd change something he didn't like, such as the Holocaust, and irreparably change the future.

He'd even made sure there was no way he could step in to save his parents when, in 1981, they'd been murdered. Now his other self was just a six year old boy in a home filled with neglect. Robin and Djaq especially had taken a liking to Harry Potter and had tried to convince Danvers to rescue the boy and to raise him like he had done a few times with children in almost eight hundred years of life. Danvers had refused and even when Djaq had gone to Dumbledore asking for the boy Danvers had stepped in and they'd had a fight that had left all of them rather badly injured, though nothing that couldn't heal with a bit of blood.

Now they'd gone around in a circle and Danvers found himself lurking in the trees in a park near Little Whinging in Surrey watching a boy sitting on a bench crying to himself. Danvers shut his eyes to stop himself from kidnapping himself and sparing himself from all the pain that was to come, all eight hundred and thirteen years that brought that little boy around to this moment. In seventeen years that boy would be twenty-five and he'd be sent back to 1192 to live out another seven hundred and ninety-six years as a Predator Vampire.

"Hello, Djaq." Danvers whispered knowing that she was there somewhere. In fact he didn't have a clue, all he knew was that Harry Potter would be met by two Predator Vampires now, one was Djaq.

She appeared beside him as she fell from a nearby tree. "How did you know I was here?" She asked.

Danvers looked at her carefully but didn't answer the question. They had to slip up for him to hear them when they wanted to hide and Djaq was the best out of them all at staying silent though none of them shared Danvers' ability to turn into smoke and travel amongst the air though he still found it a little unpleasant so he only used it when he really needed to get somewhere fast.

"Who are you watching?" She asked when she found out he wasn't going to answer her. Danvers didn't answer again and stepped out of the trees letting Djaq follow him with concern in all of her movements. That only got worse when she realised that she could smell blood. The boy was injured but Danvers had already known that that would be the case.

Danvers stopped in front of the boy and it was a few moments before Harry Potter looked up at him and jumped, making the swing he was sitting on quiver. "Don't be scared." Djaq stepped forward when she realised Danvers wasn't going to and Harry looked up at her and tried to get away from her.

Danvers stepped forward and knelt in front of his much younger self. "We won't hurt you, little one." Harry calmed almost instantly and Danvers knew from previous knowledge it was because Harry had seen a kindness in the cold emerald eyes, so much like his own.

"What's your name?" Djaq asked.

"Harry." Harry told them.

"Hi, Harry." Danvers smiled and Harry smiled tentatively back but only jumped again when Djaq moved. "I know you don't trust strangers, Harry, but how about you let me have a look at that leg?"

"I trust... you." Harry told him and Danvers smiled up at him as he took the bottom of Harry's leg in his hands and pulled the torn and bloody jeans up his leg revealing a far worse injury than Danvers remembered. He remembered a small cut and some grazes, not a deep cut right down to the bone. Danvers knew that it was only because of Harry's magic that he hadn't bled to death sitting on the bench alone.

"What happened, Harry?" Djaq asked as Danvers pulled a bandage and pad out of his back pocket that he'd put there ready for this and he once again ignored Djaq's confused look.

"My Cousin, Dudley, pushed me." Harry admitted even after flinching away from her once again.

"Dudley?" Djaq sounded shocked and looked at Danvers demandingly. But she'd already worked out who Harry was. The famed Boy-Who-Lived.

Danvers used the stone on the ring on his right hand to cut the skin of his left forefinger and let a drop of his blood fall into Harry's wound without him seeing it and watched as the cut began to heal, just enough to leave behind what Danvers remembered. He then cleaned it up and bandaged it and then pulled the jeans leg back down. "You'd better get home, Harry." Danvers smiled at him.

"Will I see you again?" Harry asked standing up experimentally and then grinning at Danvers.

"One day, little one." Danvers smiled at him and hugged the six year old to him when Harry jumped at him. "Go on, Harry. Get home before your Uncle notices you're late."

Harry took another look at the two of them before limping away across the park and the half an hour walk home. Djaq rounded on him and grabbed his arm. "That was Harry Potter wasn't it!"

"You know it was." Danvers shrugged.

"And you knew where to find him, just when he was injured. You brought bandages with you _and_ you bled into him!" Djaq ranted at him.

"So I did." Danvers nodded and turned back to walk to his car. "And you followed me."

Djaq winced. "Robin's been worried about you lately. You've gotten more and more solitary in the last few years."

"If Robin's worried about me then he can come talk to me himself rather than avoiding me." Danvers snapped.

"We're getting close to your time aren't we?" Djaq grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "Aren't we?"

"Does it matter?" Danvers asked and tried to tear himself free but she kept a firm grip. Danvers stepped back out of her grasp, flowing into smoke and reforming a metre from her. She closed her hand into a fist and lowered it angrily.

"Why not let us help you?" Djaq asked. "We can protect your younger self, make sure he's okay."

"Of course he's okay." Danvers pointed out. "I wouldn't be standing here if he wasn't and if you five start running around after him you could change something for the worse."

"Does that count for Harry Potter too? He's abused there isn't he. I could see it in his actions and for some reason you know it but you won't do anything about it!" Djaq gritted her teeth.

"The way he is raised will give him the strength to face what's to come in the future." Danvers shrugged. "I can't help that."

"We could." Djaq threatened. "If you don't start telling us about your younger self we'll take Harry Potter away from here and help him."

"You can't." Danvers chuckled. "You don't even know where you are do you?"

She opened her mouth but then went shockingly still. "I..."

"As soon as you realised it was Harry Potter the wards on his home activated and they won't let you remember where this is." Danvers told her.

"How come you knew then?" Djaq asked.

"I was made privy to the location before." Danvers admitted.

"So you are alive now!" Djaq grinned victoriously.

"That's not going to help you." Danvers pointed out before heading for his car once again. It didn't matter how much the others knew about his previous life or how much they might want to help him they simply couldn't. If they did they could remove Danvers Orion from the world which would have a knock on effect for thousands, if not millions, of people across the Globe.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**1999**

Danvers stood beside the Queen as her unofficial guard, ignoring the half dozen army personnel and the three Unspeakables that guarded her, all because of the latest war. In all though Danvers was her main protection at this event but officially he was merely the Duke of Nightmare, being seen by the public at the Passing Out of the latest members of the Auror Corps.

It happened every year but this year there were more Aurors Passing Out than ever before and one in particular held his eye and that was the next one in the row the Queen was working her way along. "And you must be Harry Potter." The Queen paused in front of him and Danvers came to a stop as well.

"I am, Your Majesty." Harry didn't move and Danvers studied him. He remembered this moment as well. The Queen was about to bring Danvers into the conversation.

"What do you think, Duke Orion?" She asked and glanced at him slightly.

"He'll make a good Auror, Your Majesty." Danvers replied and nodded to Harry who he knew from personal experience hadn't really recognised him, not as the man that had helped him as a child at least.

"Just remember your ideals and I wish you good fortune in this war." The Queen finished and moved on. Danvers paused in front of Harry and met his eyes before continuing on hoping that Djaq, Will and Allan hadn't noticed the similarity between Danvers and the nineteen year old Harry Potter.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**1999**

Danvers rose as Djaq, Robin, Will, Allan and Much appeared through a side door to the Hall of Nottingham Castle. The room was filled with Vampires, Demons, Wizards and Wiccans all rather on the grey side as they could exist in the same room together but what he didn't like was that four men from the Watchers Council were heading into the Manor and he'd summoned the others knowing what it was about from a heads-up from the elderly Duchess of Norfolk, their benefactor.

The doors opened and two of his personal security, in their body armour and machine pistols, stepped inside, escorting an old man and woman as well as two younger men. They walked down the centre of the room, nervously looking at the occupants of the various areas of sofas and chairs that made up the room. In particular they didn't like the look of the group of four Vampires, especially the rather more famous one that Danvers had just been speaking to. William 'The Bloody' had a reputation for being vicious but when he wasn't after your blood he wasn't all that bad. Then again Danvers held his respect before they'd met about a hundred years ago and 'Spike's' gang had tried to overcome him. The four older than normal Vampires had been soundly beaten within a few minutes and just to freak them out Danvers had shown up wherever they went for almost ten years until eventually three of them had travelled to the Americas.

"Your Grace." The older man greeted. "We are members of the Watchers Council. Would it be possible to speak to you in private?"

"The Duchess of Norfolk warned me of your arrival." Danvers walked down the steps from his own seating area to stand in front of them. "What is it that you require that you believed it best to arrive unannounced?"

"Even I asked if I could come in!" Spike added helpfully to the side but went silent when Allan and Will narrowed their eyes at him.

"That's enough from you, Vampire." The man glared at Spike.

"As guests in my home you are well aware of the rules." Danvers cut in harshly. "What is it you wished to speak to me about?"

"The Slayer is on her way here." The man told him making the three Vampires on the other side of the room stand up in horror. Even Spike tensed up nervously.

"With the intention to do what?" Danvers asked. "I have warned you before that Slayers are welcome here but only on the agreement that they leave the Demons and Vampires here in peace."

"We have told her just that." The older woman promised him. "However she just lost her Watcher and has lost control of her emotions. When she was last seen she was determined to prove that you are not worthy of our patience."

"You patience?" Danvers chuckled before going silent and turning his head. He could hear fighting out in the hallway. He lifted his wrist and the watch there and pressed in the switch on the side. "All security, retreat to the main hall. Leave her be."

"What's happening?" One of the younger men asked as they looked behind them as the doors slammed open again and men and women, all armed, began filling in, along with the Manor's staff.

"Your Slayer has arrived." Danvers told them calmly. "And she attacked my security."

The last ones through the door shut it behind them and the Vampires in the room looked a little nervous about being shut in the room with a Slayer on a rampage outside. Danvers bared his teeth. "Your Slayer is starting to annoy me, Watcher." Danvers hissed and pushed them to the side. "You lot take a seat and stay put unless you want me to let her do something to you all."

The Vampires and Demons quickly found a place to wait and no sooner had they settled the doors slammed open and a seventeen year old girl with long black hair and a very angry expression on her face paused in the doorway as she found herself confronted with such a crowd, most of which looked dangerous.

"I've never pissed you off right, Danvers?" Spike's voice sounded from behind him but Danvers ignored him as he walked into the dead centre of the room and waved down his security who lowered their machine pistols.

"That's far enough, Slayer." Danvers told her.

"When does a Vampire get off telling a Slayer what to do?" She glared and strolled down the centre of the room towards him.

"Wrong kind of Vampire, Slayer." Danvers pointed out simply. "Turn around and leave."

"Fuck you." She spat and launched herself forward. Danvers twisted his upper body to dodge her and her fist flew past him before Will was beside him, grabbing her wrist and throwing her away harshly. Danvers stepped back as Will faced off with her and she drew a stake from a belt around her waist. Will turned his head slightly, keeping an eye on the Wiccans that had already been in the room. The motion told the others what to do and apart from Danvers the others moved into position. Allan and Djaq moved with a blur to stand on either side of the four members of the Watchers Council whereas Robin and Much stood guard over the Wiccans making it clear they weren't taking the chance of any of them stepping in to try to help the Slayer.

She was seriously out of her league though, even just facing Will she was barely a match and Will could have been blurring around the fight so fast she couldn't see him. Will ended the fight a few minutes later and held her against his chest, with one arm around her neck.

"Do you see now how pointless this is?" Danvers asked her. "You Slayers are designed to prey on Vampires. We are Predators, designed to prey on everything on this planet. Even Demons are fair game to us and you believe it is your right to attack my home and threaten my friends. The only reason you're not already dead is because your Council came to me first to warn me of your arrival."

"She'll leave!" The old man of the Watchers Council promised and Will released the Slayer and blurred until he was standing with Robin and Much and the Wiccans. The Slayer staggered but righted herself. Her face was red with anger and Danvers could see the small movements as her body trembled after the fight.

Danvers turned to glance at the Watchers Council to tell them to take her and leave but the Slayer made her move before he could speak. She threw all her weight into her arm and the new stake she had drawn from her belt and sent it hurtling, rather pointlessly, towards a perfectly prepared Robin. Danvers saw red and burst forwards. His body vanished into a stream of black mist and slammed into her, flowing around her before she could react and then reforming into his body. He grabbed her around the neck and before she could react he snapped her neck, killing her cleanly and painlessly. He lifted her body and placed it on one of the polished table and the tension in the room flooded out. The Vampires and Demons were glad to see her dead but the Watchers Council and Wiccans were obviously angry at him.

"Take her and leave." Danvers told the old man before he glanced at Robin who sighed and nodded to him, telling him that he'd take over for him. Danvers stepped backwards away from the body and burst into the black mist again and quicker than anybody could follow he streamed out of the Manor and away.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Danvers arrived in his room in the Manor four hours later after spending the afternoon watching Harry Potter fighting a battle from afar, rescuing the population of a small Wizarding village in Cornwall. He remembered where his alternate self would be because he remembered returning to the Auror Headquarters after the battle to find it in turmoil over the news of the death of the Slayer at the hands of the normally neutral Danvers Orion. It would take another few days before the Wizards were placated with the knowledge that Danvers had killed her only because she'd attacked his Manor on a mission of revenge but some of the Aurors would never be fully convinced and he knew that as they moved into the new millennium more and more of the Wizarding World would start talking about killing Danvers and the other Predators and returning their power to more 'worthy' people. Danvers didn't know how that would end.

He'd gone to watch Harry to remind himself of what he was underneath, before he'd been turned into a Predator Vampire and as he watched himself kill his first Death Eater he reminded himself that sometimes killing was necessary.

Danvers sat on his bed ignoring the other presence in the room and cupped his face in his hands and didn't move as the bed dipped beside him and he felt hands pulling his trench coat off his shoulders. He straightened up and pulled off his shirt before standing and turning to look at Will who smiled at him and pulled his own shirt over his head. Danvers stripped down and slid into his bed with Will and curled into one of his best friends' sides and let himself unravel into his side. There was nothing romantic between himself and Will or Allan but on occasion they helped each other relieve tension and especially with Danvers, helped him let out his emotions without comment or suspicion about what was getting to him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**2005**

The soft sound of the Finale of the piece Danvers was playing came to an end on a long gentle note and Djaq lifted the bow from the strings of her Cello as the last of the sound faded from the study and Danvers stood up and turned to the chairs near the door where Will had brought their guests in rather than interrupt Danvers from his music. Danvers had seen them arrive in the reflective brass of the pipes. He made his way over and Djaq and Will sat down with him facing the three Wizards. The centre one was of the most interest to Danvers though, his pale and snake-like face grated on him but Danvers knew that soon, he'd have his long awaited revenge but he had to play Voldemort into the corner first.

"Voldemort." Danvers greeted.

"Orion. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Danvers ignored the omission of his title or the respect it deserved so in turn relaxed in his seat as if this was nothing more than a casual meeting of no great concern to him. The two Death Eaters with their bone masks tensed up at his disregard for Voldemort's self imposed authority.

"Your letter claimed that you had a proposition for me?" Danvers prompted knowing that he was being rude and not caring.

"We're both well aware of your tentative hold on your authority." Voldemort started and Danvers saw Djaq and Will both go to correct him.

"Go on." Danvers said letting his friends know to remain silent.

"Many of the Wizards believe you to be outdated and you reputation to be unwarranted. Nobody has tested your abilities in a long time and the rumours suggest your powers are merely myths kept alive by the odd fairytale." Voldemort continued not noticing how tense both Djaq and Will had become but they knew better than to ignore Danvers' lead on this. "Whether that is true or not I have a suggestion for you. There is very little that stands between me and my final objective, rule over the territories of Great Britain but the last task is proving difficult for me."

"And if I help you do this?" Danvers asked.

"When I rise to power I will make you my right-hand man. Only I shall be superior to you." Voldemort told him with a smirk. "Your future authority will be secured."

"As tempting as that sounds I would have to know what it is you require of me before I say whether I agree to your terms or not." Danvers told the monstrosity carelessly.

"The capture of Harry Potter." Voldemort told him with a grin as if he'd already won. Danvers ignored the way the other two tensed up.

"You cannot capture a twenty-five year old Auror on your own?" Danvers chuckled knowing that if he agreed too easily it would tip the Wizard off.

"Not only did the old fool, Dumbledore train him but he has learnt from the Unspeakables during his training and has learnt from Merlin's Templar." Voldemort hissed. "He has a habit of slipping out of impossible situations."

Danvers smirked at him. "Have you ever tried to actually face him or are you merely hiding and hoping someone will do your work for you?" Voldemort went tight-lipped and Danvers knew the Wizard was close to doing something he'd later regret. "I can imagine that it is frustrating for you to be faced with a young man a third of your age who is lucky enough to dodge your every attempt at his life but then again it must be you that delivers the killing blow. Is that not what the Prophecy states?"

Voldemort hissed and straightened up with wild eyes. "You know the contents to the prophecy?"

"I do." Danvers smirked and Djaq and Will couldn't help it but look at him in horror. They'd all heard the beginning to the Prophecy, the part that Voldemort had been aware of but none of them had known that Danvers had known the whole thing all along. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies."

"Yes, yes. I know all of that." Voldemort hissed out and seemed to want to insult Danvers but Danvers kept his cool.

"And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies." Danvers smirked as he finished and noted how Voldemort's hands were clenched so tightly that he could make out all of the tendons in his exposed wrists. "Rather interesting isn't it. Now that you know why you can't kill him?"

"I thought the purpose of that was that they can kill each other but nobody else may?" The Death Eater to Voldemort's right, Lucius Malfoy, spoke regally, as if speaking to a lesser being rather than a superior one.

"Not one of the quicker ones then?" Danvers smirked at the anger there. "Voldemort cannot kill Harry Potter at the moment. Nothing he tries has worked and it never will."

"I don't see why not." Malfoy pointed out. "It clearly states that either must die at the hand of the other."

Danvers laughed. "Yet Harry Potter understands Voldemort's power and thus can kill him. Voldemort is yet unaware of the 'power the Dark Lord knows not'. He cannot kill him until he understands that."

"What is this power then?" Voldemort sneered.

"I believe I may have handed it to him for it is neither magic nor strength but understanding itself. You must understand what he has learnt. His little known knowledge is what has protected him." Danvers chuckled.

"How is it that a twenty-five year old brat knows more of magic then the Dark Lord?" Malfoy sneered under his mask.

"That is perhaps my doing." Danvers did actually laugh this time and when Malfoy and the other Death Eater reached for their wands to 'punish' him for his disrespect Danvers exposed his fangs in warning. "In 1940, Albus Dumbledore set out on a journey in search of knowledge he could use against Grindlewald and his journey began here where I gave to him a book that only I and the Predator Vampires have seen before. Merlin's Templar. In it was the knowledge of the basics of magic which gave Albus Dumbledore the power to defeat Grindlewald. That book remained in Dumbledore's possession until he gave it to Harry Potter when he left the Auror Academy and he has been learning from it ever since. That is why you cannot defeat him. Every time you attempt to capture him or harm him you fail. You do not understand his power and until you do you cannot overcome him. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that you _will_ not overcome him."

Voldemort made to stand, seeing that he was merely being mocked. "Sit down, Voldemort, or you will never get a chance at my assistance again." Danvers snapped and Voldemort did as he was told. "I will not tell you of the power you do not understand but on the agreement you have previously suggested I will capture Harry Potter for you."

"Danvers!" Will couldn't help it.

"With this the war can be brought to an end." Danvers told one of his best friend's sharply, flashing a determined look at him that silenced him before Danvers turned back to Voldemort. "I have my own stipulations however but I believe what I ask for is easily within the realms of acceptability when you take into account what you will gain once Harry Potter is removed."

"Such as?" Voldemort asked.

"The cessation of hostilities in respect to the mundane realm and the acceptance of the authority of the British Crown." Danvers told him. "Basically you would take control of the British Wizarding World."

Voldemort stared at Danvers for a while but Danvers knew he had backed him into a corner but it all rested on whether Voldemort fell for his little trap. Everything Danvers had said about not being able to defeat Harry Potter until he understood his power was true but only to an extent but Voldemort's belief in the possibility would ensure everything went to plan and Voldemort, in the last few years, had realised that this war had no foreseeable end and the rumours that had started about Danvers' position only threatened the war. If the Wizards moved against Danvers to take his power and Danvers retaliated with his full abilities then the war would come to an end. Voldemort wasn't a fool, he knew how much power Danvers had and had to make him an ally and end the war quickly or he could lose more than control over the mundane society.

"I accept your terms." Voldemort nodded sharply and Danvers saw the moment where he convinced himself it was the right thing to do.

"Then you will have Harry Potter by the end of this week. Arrive here on Saturday at six and you may do what you like but remember, Voldemort, tormenting the boy is not in the agreement. Whatever is done will be done in front of myself in this Manor." Danvers told him coldly. "Remove him from the war if you must, in whichever way you see fit but I will not permit dragging out his pain. Is that understood?"

"My Lord!" Malfoy tried to argue.

"Silence!" Voldemort snapped before looking at Danvers. "You have my agreement."

Danvers stood up gracefully. "I trust my staff will see you out." He told Voldemort before turning to return to his organ, intent on playing something to cheer himself up a little and so that Djaq and Will couldn't string him up. He knew he'd just horrified them both and soon Allan, Robin and Much would know everything and he knew it was only a matter of time before the five of them cornered him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Danvers' bedroom door burst open almost three hours later and he didn't have to turn from his open balcony doors to know who it was. If he was wondering he could have used their scents, he knew the five other Predator Vampires so well he could follow them in his sleep. "Danvers! What the hell are you doing?" Robin snapped as soon as the door was shut behind him.

Danvers turned to look at them and kept up his emotionless mask in order to not give anything away by how much this whole thing was paining him. That didn't help him though. "I'm giving Harry Potter up to Voldemort to bring this war to an end."

"It's horrible, Danvers!" Much gritted his teeth.

"I'm sure that Harry Potter will manage to defeat Voldemort eventually." Djaq tried to reason with him.

"Eventually." Danvers agreed quietly. "But not as he is right now."

"Then give him a chance to grow into someone that can." Will argued. "Don't just kill him off."

"I won't be." Danvers shook his head.

"Oh right, so that's how you're defending your actions. Get Voldemort to do your dirty work for you." Robin almost spat at him. "In all the years I've known you Danvers, I've never felt this ashamed of you."

Robin turned and in a blink of an eye he'd disappeared out into the corridor. Much ran after him and Danvers sagged slightly feeling the sting in Robin's words. "We could all stop you, Danvers. You know?" Allan asked him once it was just the three lovers and himself.

"I suppose so." Danvers shrugged.

"Do you know what you're doing, Danvers?" Will asked him, coming to stand right in front of him.

"Don't forget guys, I'm around here somewhere." Danvers sighed. "I've never told you where I am but I've done this before. This is what happens. I'm not changing anything by doing this."

"Maybe you should." Allan pointed out. "Jeese, Danvers. Sacrificing the Potter kid. That's a little screwed up."

"It's for a good reason." Danvers sighed. "He'd understand."

"Do you know him, Danvers?" Djaq asked. "You knew where he lived, you knew the Prophecy that only he and Dumbledore were supposed to know. You knew exactly when he'd be wounded. You know far too much about him. Did you fight in the war together?"

"I suppose you could say that." Danvers turned away.

"Is this when the war ends?" Will suddenly asked, grabbing him on the arm. "That stuff you told Voldemort? Is this to get Harry Potter out of the Prophecy so you can kill Voldemort?"

Danvers looked at him sadly. "Some things just have to be done."

"If you let Voldemort kill Harry Potter we'll have the entire Wizarding World on us regardless of if you kill Voldemort or not." Allan put in. "They'll tear this place to shreds."

"Maybe." Danvers sighed. "Just leave me to this, guys. It needs to be done."

"Robin's not going to like this." Djaq pointed out.

"He doesn't have to like it. If he wants to believe that I'm a monster then he can do just that." Danvers shook his head and walked out onto his balcony before dropping himself off the edge and fading into black mist as he fell.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Danvers didn't let his captive and himself reach the ground of the subway before the black mist enveloped them and swept them across the country, travelling from Gloucester to Nottingham in less than five minutes. Once there he materialised on the doorstep and the security there, who he had already warned, opened the door for him to let him carry his unconscious captive into the building, taking in his Auror robes with wonder as to why their Duke would capture an Auror.

He took Harry Potter down into his Manor and into the basement complex and to a cell in the north wing and placed him on the floor in the centre of the stark cell before backing out. The corridor was home to twenty of his security detail and he locked the door's keypad knowing that only he knew the eight digit combination and the doors and walls were strong enough that it was indestructible. It would take at least two of the others to bring the door down and he'd left orders with the security detail that if any of the others approached they were to summon him immediately.

As of that moment the security in the building was almost quadrupled and for the first time since the Queen and her sister had stayed there during the war anti-apparition wards were raised around the grounds. He spent the rest of the day, the following night and half the next day watching and reading the news reports but since only the Aurors and, through Tonks, the Order of the Phoenix knew that Danvers had kidnapped the Boy-Who-Lived he expected to be visited long before it hit the news.

When the camera in his room showed him that Harry Potter was waking up he made his way down to the cell a little bit bewildered by the conversation he was about to have. He opened the door and took in the sight of the robed Auror leaning against the back wall of the cell and remembered clearly what it had been like from his own point of view. He crossed the cell and knew that Harry was staring at his incisors, taking in that he really was Danvers Orion, the Duke of Nightmare.

He knelt in front of his younger self and smiled. "Harry. I have avoided being seen with you since you were a ten year old boy but we have met before. I would ask if you remember but I know that you do."

"I don't..." Harry trailed off and Danvers waited knowing that Harry would soon recall it all.

"I picked you up once after your cousin beat you up. I put a bandage around your skinned shin and carried you home." Danvers sighed. "You were six."

"I don't understand." Harry frowned.

"Look at me, Harry." Danvers ordered before standing and pulled Harry up with him careful in case Harry made a move but knowing from his own past that he wouldn't. He put an arm around Harry's shoulder since they were exactly the same height and turned him to look in the mirror along one of the walls which led through to an observational room that Danvers knew was securely locked.

It took a few moments as he watched Harry's eyes flicker across the image of the two of them in the mirror. "We're like twins!" He gasped.

"No, Harry." Danvers said calmly. "Not twins. We are the first of the true Vampires."

"I'm not a Vampire!" Harry argued. "Even if I was, how could we both be the first?"

"You will see." Danvers told him and opened his mouth before spinning around in front of Harry. He lightly pushed Harry's head to the side and bit down into his throat, holding him up and trying to make it as painless as he could. It took almost five minutes for Danvers to take what he needed and Harry was almost completely limp and Danvers didn't let him go before he drew a knife across his own wrist and forced Harry to swallow the leaking blood until he'd taken almost two pints. Finally Harry was able to stand on his own feet again and when Danvers let go he staggered back until his back hit the wall.

"What did you do to me?" Harry snarled and Danvers remembered how betrayed and angry he had felt.

"I gave you a way to survive." Danvers recited the reasoning he'd received. "The same as what happened to me so long ago yet so recently."

"That makes no sense." Harry spat.

Danvers smiled sadly. "One day, Harry, you will be on the other side of this conversation and you will understand why I did this to you."

"I'll never be like you!" Harry defended.

"There are worse things out there than me." Danvers sighed. "Voldemort has a new spell." Danvers told him, knowing that Voldemort really did have a new spell to try out on Harry. "I either had to let him try it on you or simply kill you. He has too much experience for you, Harry, but his experience is nothing compared to mine. I will kill him for us. This is one time I won't be neutral."

"I don't understand." Harry protested.

"Live our life, Harry." Danvers stepped back to the door and it opened for him. "This I can give us both. We are Danvers Orion. First of the True Predators."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Saturday**

Danvers had been waiting for days for this to happen and he could only smirk as the black wood doors into Nottingham Castle main hall burst open and six men flooded in. One was the Minister for Magic and an Unspeakable that Danvers didn't recognise and then also Albus Dumbledore and the three Aurors, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Ronald Weasley. The room was filled with people that had heard of Harry Potter's capture at the hands of Danvers Orion and had been attracted to the scene though none were what could be called weak. Nobody was here that couldn't handle themselves, they were itching to see Danvers Orion go up against the Wizarding World.

The room went silent without Danvers needing to make a comment and he stayed sat in his high backed leather chair as the group of six strode purposely towards him, nervously looking around at the Vampires, Demons, Wiccans and mundane humans all around the room though they were keeping to the edges, sitting on window sills or in clusters of chairs.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would arrive, Baron Dumbledore." Danvers said in way of greeting.

"Where's my...!" Ronald Weasley began, going red with anger, but Dumbledore grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back.

"Greetings, Duke Orion." Dumbledore bowed gently.

Danvers stood up gracefully and nodded his head. "Baron Dumbledore. What can I do for you?"

"You can..." Weasley started again.

"I merely wished to inquire as to your purpose in apprehending Harry Potter." Dumbledore informed him.

"I have my reasons." Danvers said simply and turned his back on them all and sat in the chair again. In that simple movement he'd told Dumbledore to tread extremely carefully in their coming conversation. "As to your escorts, you are in no danger here, they may leave."

"I don't think so." Minister Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes.

"Minister Scrimgeour, though your position gives you certain rights in the House of Lords you do not have the authority to order me around in my own home." Danvers snapped bluntly. "Nor do you have the right to enter here with an armed escort. I am obliged under British law to afford you and Baron Dumbledore my hospitality and protection but I will not accept threats as well as greetings."

"Minister..." Dumbledore spoke softly as he turned to look at him and then turned back to Dumbledore. "Duke Orion, these Aurors with me are friends and mentors to Harry Potter. Auror Weasley is his best friend, Auror Tonks is his team Captain and Auror Shacklebolt is his department head. They are here out of concern for his wellbeing."

"And the Unspeakable?" Danvers asked.

"He is my personal protection." Scrimgeour told him sharply. Danvers turned his head to his right and found Will in the crowd who moved forwards knowing what Danvers needed. Normally he didn't really care but Unspeakables were tricky people, he might have orders from his own department that neither the Minister nor Dumbledore were aware of and he wouldn't necessarily be cowed into inaction by the threat of death.

Will took the Unspeakable in a firm grip and deftly took his wand from him as he tried to wave it to dispel the grip on him. Will then tugged him from the room and threw him out of the Manor keeping his wand in hand as he returned. Danvers accepted the wand and then walked across to Dumbledore. Weasley and Tonks, standing at the old man's sides, backed away nervously but Dumbledore stood firmly. Danvers handed him the wand and then turned to walk back to his chair where he sat down.

"Returning Harry Potter to you is, unfortunately, out of the question." Danvers told Dumbledore firmly and continued when Weasley started to argue. "Need I remind you what happened two months ago on your prior visit, Auror Weasley. Do not test my patience."

"Vampires!" Weasley hissed under his breath not expecting to be heard.

"Watch your tongue!" Danvers hissed as all of the Vampires in the room rose to the hate in his voice. "And you lot, sit down!" The Vampires in the room sat again, cowed into obedience by the power in Danvers' voice and by the lingering Predator Vampires spread around the room, standing on the inside edge of all the groups, making sure nothing happened and lurking dangerously around the empty clearing in the centre of the room.

"A small amount of diplomatic training may be in order for him, Baron Dumbledore." Danvers sighed. "I'm afraid I'm about to have a few more guests who may not necessarily be on your own invitation list."

"We are well aware that you have invited Voldemort here tonight." Dumbledore told him.

"Oh yes, your spy." Danvers smirked. "And I assume he also told you I informed Voldemort of the entirety of the Prophecy and agreed to capture Harry Potter, thus negating the advantage he has gained from Merlin's Templar. A gift to you from myself if I recall correctly which I always do."

"We are aware of all of this." Dumbledore told him. "I was hoping we could come to some sort of agreement. I understand that in return for your assistance Voldemort has agreed to stop at taking control of the Wizarding World and to exist as part of the current political structure."

"That sounds reasonable does it not?" Danvers asked. "In return for Harry Potter's sacrifice I shall bring peace back to the mundane world that your civil war has begun to affect."

"You have no right to do that!" Scrimgeour snarled at him reaching for his wand.

"Think carefully before you touch that wand, Minister Scrimgeour, it is useless against me and I will kill you before you can utter any spell." Danvers glanced at the other four Wizards. "That goes for the four of you as well."

"How do we even know that the legendary powers of the great Duke of Nightmare isn't just a load of fairytales?" Weasley hissed before going utterly still as the cold touch of a dagger pressed lightly against his throat for just a moment before vanishing again. Danvers, his friends and most of the older Vampires in the room had caught sight of Allan's movement but they were the only ones to know what happened.

"Our power is very real, Auror Weasley. No matter the rumours spreading through the country." Danvers laughed. "Just because I no longer need to use my powers in public that often does not mean they don't exist. Is that not true for you as well, Baron Dumbledore?"

"Quite." Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps we can return to the matter at hand. I beg you to return Harry Potter to us. If it is peace that you seek then aid us in the war against Voldemort and end it quickly."

The doors opened and a handful of security men spread into the room, lining the central clearing just as no fewer than six Death Eaters entered with their white bone masks. In between them was Voldemort. "I am afraid I cannot agree to that, Baron Dumbledore. I told Voldemort I would let him do with Harry Potter as he wished and I stand by that."

Voldemort stopped suddenly, halfway into the room, when he found himself faced by Scrimgeour, Dumbledore, Weasley, Shacklebolt and Tonks but then continued when Will appeared and pressed the original group to the right side of the room, letting Voldemort and his men occupy the left side. Danvers stood up once again.

"Duke Orion. Such guests you invited to witness this." Voldemort smirked.

"Do not degrade yourself to petty banter, Voldemort." Danvers almost snapped as he came to stand at the base of the steps to his set of seats at the end of the room. Voldemort narrowed his eyes but seemed to think better of arguing with the Predator Vampire. Danvers lifted his wrist and spoke into his watch. "Bring him in."

Dumbledore cast a horrified look at Danvers and Danvers realised he had put everything on appealing to Danvers' mercy and now that they had reached this point he didn't know what to do. The door opened once more and six more security guards entered the room, the middle two helping another person to walk. The doors shut and the two carried on, leaving the other guards to spread throughout the room, incidentally completely encompassing the room with Danvers' own security and his friends. It wasn't until Harry Potter and his escorts reached the group that it became clear how ill he looked.

A ripple went through the room. Horror from some and anxiousness from others but it was his friends' response which was the most obvious to Danvers. They'd all straightened up in surprise and a little horror as soon as they'd seen the boy and they'd all stepped forwards. "Danvers! What have you done?" Will whispered out knowing that only Danvers and his four other friends could hear him.

"What had to be done." Danvers whispered back.

"You turned him!" Much hissed.

Ripples of noise were beginning to spread from the other Vampires in the room and Danvers knew that they'd caught the scent of Harry Potter, noting the way he was beginning to smell to them like the other Predator Vampires. "Silence!" Danvers snapped at them all. He didn't want them giving the secret away to Voldemort at this crucial stage.

"Harry!" Ron tried to jump forwards but Tonks grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Danvers looked over the seven Death Eaters, five Wizards, his five friends evenly spaced around the Wizards and then finally to his younger self who looked up at him blearily. Danvers remembered what it was like to be there. He'd felt confusion and he'd barely even realised who had been there. "Get it over with, Voldemort." Danvers snapped.

Voldemort smirked and made a show of drawing his wand from inside his robes, he stroked along its length as if caressing a pet snake before lowering it to point at Harry. "No!" Weasley gasped and Danvers looked at Dumbledore to see tears in his eyes. Danvers couldn't help it and gave the man a wink making him flinch in surprise. Voldemort's steady chant brought their attention back to what was happening and the magic that rose from the floor of the hall to spiral around Harry in a column that reached all the way to the vaulted ceilings. It didn't exactly block the view to the prone twenty-five year old but it made it seem as if he was slowly fading out of existence.

It took a few moments and in the process Tonks and Weasley had ended up being restrained by Djaq in a vice like grip. The rest of his friends were staring at what was happening in wonder as their minds filled in all the gaps to this all. Now that Danvers and Harry were in the same place they could all see the resemblance as well as all of Danvers' recent actions and his decision to sacrifice Harry Potter.

The magic collapsed into the ground with a thud of air leaving nothing where Harry Potter had been. Voldemort began laughing and his Death Eaters joined him. "What did you do, you bastard!?" Ron screamed, struggling to get away from Djaq.

"I didn't kill him." Voldemort laughed. "Just for you, Dumbledore, I sent him back in time. Hundreds of years into the past where he can grow old knowing what he's left behind here. Soon the Wizarding World will be mine and Harry Potter is no longer here to stop me."

Kingsley was the one to finally break and his wands lanced up and a red spell struck across the room. The spell that should have turned Voldemort's skin to dust bounced off of Voldemort's shield and up into the ceiling. Voldemort retaliated and a wave of magic sent Dumbledore's group jerking backwards. Djaq appeared at his side just before the magic hit but none of them did anything to stop the fight. Dumbledore's first spell sent a couple of the Death Eaters flying and Allan and Robin caught them almost carelessly and tossed them back onto the ground. Danvers just watched as the two groups pulled themselves up and squared off with each other.

Danvers chuckled and that single, strange, action drew everybody's attention. "Foolish man." Danvers laughed. Voldemort smirked, taking pride in his new ally but Danvers' next words wiped the smirk off of his face. "You still haven't seen it yet have you Voldemort?"

"What are you talking about?" Voldemort snarled, not liking being mocked just after his great victory.

"You were so caught up by your victory you never even compared the two of us." Danvers laughed again.

"The two of you?" Voldemort narrowed his eyes, his wand couldn't seem to decide between aiming at Dumbledore and pointing at Danvers.

"Tom," Dumbledore spoke up. "You have truly become blinded if you did not see the similarities between Harry Potter and Danvers Orion."

"Still a sharp one, Baron Dumbledore." Danvers bowed to him before seeming to take a step to his left. He violently burst into black mist and it flowed past Voldemort before he retook his form opposite where he had been only this time he was toying with Voldemort's wand. "Ever since I was kidnapped from the train station and sent back in time to the twelfth century I have waited for this moment. For the present to catch up to the future."

"What are you talking about?" Weasley hissed.

"The Harry Potter you just saw was in fact the one I kidnapped from the train station but I gave him something that Voldemort didn't anticipate in his haste to jump at my gift." Danvers told them all airily. "I turned him into a Predator Vampire. The first of our kind."

"A strange Paradox you have created for yourself, Harry." Dumbledore's twinkle was back in full force and he seemed to almost have regained a few decades of his life just in his relief.

"I prefer Danvers, Albus." Danvers shrugged. "I stopped being Harry Potter in 1192 when I met my friends here and eventually turned them into what they are now."

"You!" Voldemort snarled, his eyes wide and filled with just the start of pure terror.

"I'm afraid we've reached the end of the Wizarding Civil war, Voldemort." Danvers told him before turning to Dumbledore. "You asked me if it was peace I wanted and the answer is yes it is but also to protect the current timeline. I couldn't kill Voldemort until events had turned full circle."

"You've come a long way." Dumbledore nodded with a smile.

"Yes, young man." Danvers smirked. "I suppose I have."

"What is this!?" Voldemort hissed but Danvers moved even before he could finish his sentence. He blurred across the room, grabbed Voldemort firmly, pushed his head to the side and sunk his fangs deep into Voldemort's carotid artery, drawing the blood out of him. He heard a mass scramble and monitored it only enough to know if his friends were successful in either killing or restraining the six Death Eaters and anybody else that might try to stop him.

When he felt the last of Voldemort's life leave his body he dropped it to the ground in a heap and straightened himself off knowing that he didn't have a drop of the blood around his mouth. He licked his teeth with his tongue as he turned to look at his friends. Each had taken a Death Eater and drained them of life, leaving just one crumpled to the ground with his head almost ninety degrees in the wrong direction. The hall was deadly silent.

"If you are wondering about the last of the Horcruxes you needn't worry." Danvers told Dumbledore. "I knew which one would remain to this day and tracked it down early during the first civil war. Voldemort's soul is truly gone."

"Danvers." Dumbledore kept his eyes firmly on him. "For once in my life I do not know what to say. To think that just recently I was mentoring you yet more than sixty years ago you were giving me advice like you would to a child."

"I am over eight hundred years old, Dumbledore. It has been a long time since I was Harry Potter." Danvers shrugged and turned to walk back up to his seat. He knew that the world would need time to adapt to all of this but he'd been ready for it for a long time. He wouldn't change no matter what people wanted, people would just have to change their view of Harry Potter. He sat in his seat and relaxed knowing he had the attention of everyone in the room. "Security will show you all out."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	4. Into the future

The Slow Passage of Time

A/N; Please read the message in bold at the top of my profile regarding updates. Please enjoy.

Chapter 4; Into the future

**Nottingham Castle**

Danvers sat in his hall with a hand to his head as he tried to rid himself of his headache. The room was filled with caterers setting it up for a formal dinner and since it was the first time in five years that the Queen, her husband and two grandsons and their girlfriends were coming to Nottingham it was a big deal. At least it was for Djaq who had insisted that Danvers try rather than just running off onboard the Predator and inviting them to dinner there where there would be very little or no reporters hounding his every step.

The Wizarding world was still reeling from the announcement that the Duke of Nightmares was actually their Harry Potter. The majority of the details had been lost in translation but the gist of it was right. Harry Potter had been turned into a Predator Vampire and sent back in time by Voldemort and Danvers Orion, who was Harry Potter after eight hundred years had ripped Voldemort apart and ended the war. It seemed that so far the Wizarding World didn't know what to do with him but he was sure they'd try something but whether it was for Danvers or against him he wasn't sure yet. Either way he doubted they'd get what they wanted.

"It's a little funny that as powerful as we all are you still suffer from migraines." Robin whispered making Danvers jump. He had been listening to all of the caterers walking around talking together and he hadn't heard Robin's approach.

"Hey." Danvers said weakly.

Robin sat in the armchair off to Danvers' right. "Since when do you take an interest in the fine points of a Royal dinner?"

"I don't." Danvers shrugged and finally pulled his hand away from his head. "When's Much and Will getting back from the US?"

Robin laughed. They hadn't troubled Danvers with the news of what was happening in the US because as a group they decided he had enough to deal with but they should have known that Danvers would know what was happening. "They should call before tomorrow to tell us what they find." Robin sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Just tired I suppose." Danvers answered honestly.

"Well it's not every day you turn yourself into a Vampire and live eight hundred years in an instant." Robin shrugged. "I know we've all given you a hard time in the last twenty years or so about 'Harry Potter' but you know we can't make any apologies for that. We didn't know what you did."

"And I couldn't tell you." Danvers sighed. "You would have only worked all the harder to make sure he wasn't in pain."

"You shouldn't have had to do that alone when you were a child." Robin told him.

"I didn't go through it alone." Danvers looked up at him. "I've kept an eye on him ever since he was born."

"It's not the same. You should have had somebody with you to look after you." Robin pointed out.

"Nothing's really changed though has it, Robin?" Danvers asked almost accusatorily. "You've known for centuries that I've loved you but you keep us at arm's length."

"You know why that was though. You were living a past and I was living a future." Robin told him. "I've told you that. And you've known how I feel about you all along."

"Eight hundred years is a long time to live in the past." Danvers nodded slowly. "But I'm as lost in the future as you are now. We're on equal footing."

"So Will, Alan and Djaq keep telling me." Robin sighed. "You'd better go get some blood to get rid of that migraine before the dinner tonight and wear something other than the black trench coat, this is the Queen coming after all."

"Yes Sir." Danvers smiled at him.

"Meet me at our spot tonight." Robin told him before he stood up and was simply gone. Moving so fast that the caterers didn't even notice he'd gone. Danvers could have tracked him just like they could to him but he didn't bother. He'd go speak to his event liaison about tonight before he went to get some human blood to get rid of his migraine.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That evening**

Danvers only went out to the driveway to meet a select number of people that visited Nottingham Castle. Any member of the Royal Family that came as well as a few nobles that Danvers respected and finally the Duchess of Norfolk because she was on tier with himself. Tonight it was because it was both the Duchess and the Royal Family that were arriving. For once the Castle was cleared of Vampires and Demons because of the Duchess' patronage to the Watchers Council. There was a small chance that a enterprising Demon or Vampire looking for fame would try to get around Danvers and his friends to attack her so he made it clear that it wouldn't be possible by forbidding them entrance.

The first car pulled through under the gate house and Danvers walked down the steps that led up to his doorway as the two limos he'd sent to pick them up from the airport arrived. He opened the door to the limo flying the Union Jack on the bonnet and offered his arm to the Queen as she climbed out. Djaq who, along with Robin, had been waiting with him moved in to offer her arm to the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, who took it with a smile at the familiar face. Danvers didn't need to check to know that Robin was offering his arm to the Duchess of Norfolk from the other car but Danvers waited with the Queen for her two grandson's to get out of the limo with their girlfriends. They'd grown up since Danvers had last seen them and he'd been present at their Passing Out Parades at both Sandhurst and more recently Dartmouth military colleges. They were both in their early and mid twenties and showed promise and Danvers had already been asked by the Queen if he'd look out for them in the years to come.

Robin joined them with the Duchess on his arm and two older Watchers who held titles that allowed them to be present. "Shall we go in?" Danvers offered. The Queen nodded and Danvers led her up the steps and to the ornate doors leading into the hall. Two well dressed servants opened the doors and there was a shuffling from inside that Danvers, Robin and Djaq heard easily enough as the occupants stood to greet the Queen. The hall had been converted, gone were the couches and low tables to be replaced by a dozen large round tables covered in the most expensive finery and services. A long table sat at the head on the raised podium that was normally Danvers' and his friends hang out with whoever they were interested in talking to at the time.

The assembled nobles ranged from being mainly human to a few Wizards, including Dumbledore and the Minister for Magic, and then to Wicca Witches that held titles of some kind and finally Alan who was standing at the head table keeping an eye on things.

Danvers led them up through the halls and the Queen exchanged a few greetings with familiar faces as she went and so did her husband. Danvers led them around the table and pulled out the Queen's chair in the centre of the table while Djaq did the same for the Duke of Edinburgh and Robin pulled out the chair the second on the Prince's other side for the Duchess of Norfolk. Danvers was to sit on the Queen's left with the young Princes on his own left and their girlfriends with Alan on the far end while Djaq and then Robin sat on his right beyond the Royal couple. As soon as the Queen was seated the room took to their chairs and Danvers rose up again to speak as a servant at each table poured champagne into everyone's glasses.

"It isn't often that I get to host a dinner such as this and let's be honest the guests tend to change each time I do." Danvers began. He really hated speeches. "This is in honour of the end of a war though most may not have been involved. It wasn't everyone's war however most have felt it's touch. It had more to do with me than most others I suppose and for me it has been a war of uncountable years, centuries, thus my reason to celebrate. I'd like to say it will be the last we shall experience but that would ring false. Wars are tools that we use to show the flaws growing in our civilisation but they only work when we learn from them and heed the warnings the next time."

There was a round of nods to this and Danvers caught Dumbledore's eye from the table housing the Wizards. "What I do know, however, is that through all of this we can persevere because that is what makes us strong. With that in mind it is my honour to hold this dinner for Her Majesty and it is with the warmest heart that I welcome her once again to my home."

Danvers bowed to her from his position standing beside her and then reached for his glass and lifted it. The movement was copied throughout the hall and when everyone stopped moving Danvers lifted the glass. There would be another toast to the Queen later after the meal and that would be the traditional glass of port. "To the Queen, may she be like myself and be able to reign for many centuries to come." There was a smattering of laughter at this and everyone took a drink except for the Queen herself. "Let us eat." Danvers announced as he sat which was all the cue that was needed for the caterers to come out to take everyone's orders and begin serving food, starting with the Royalty and the head table.

"You seem to be the only person in existence capable of still embarrassing me, Duke Orion." Her Majesty told him and he laughed.

"Through experience, Your Majesty." Danvers grinned a toothy grin showing his Fangs. "I've had eight centuries to practice though I do remember it was you who told me eight hundred and more years ago to never forget my ideals."

"At Harry Potter's Passing Out Parade from the Auror Academy." She nodded impressed. "Do you remember that so well?"

"Twice over." Danvers smiled. "Once the first time and again when I stood at your shoulder."

"A strange situation you have created for yourself." She raised an eyebrow.

"I do tend to get involved in the most complex of issues I'm afraid. Even my existence is complicated." Danvers shrugged.

"So you have come full circle, Danvers Orion." She told him. "Where will you go now?"

"I will continue what I have done for so many decades. Protect this country first and foremost and protect the world around her." Danvers declared. "That part of me will never change."

"It must feel different now to not know what the future holds." The Duke of Edinburgh commented from the Queen's other side.

"I'm afraid not much has changed there either, Your Highness." Danvers laughed. "I was never all that good at the details in history though it is interesting that I always had a fascination for the legends behind Robin Hood."

He heard Robin choke on his glass and smirked past them all to the love of his eight centuries. He'd timed that just as Robin had taken a mouthful of champagne. Robin glared at him and he winked.

"There is something I wanted to ask." Prince Phillip spoke up again. "Where is it that your kind of Vampire comes from?"

"Ah..." Danvers paused before finally shrugging, trying to make the gesture suitable for their presence. "I can't say I know to be honest."

"One of life's great mysteries." The Queen suggested rightly. "You turned yourself into the first Predator Vampire and in turn lived your eight hundred years and repeated it again."

"Gives a whole new meaning to the 'chicken and egg' question." Danvers leaned back in his seat as Prince William spoke and he grinned at him.

"Quite right." Danvers nodded. "I gave up trying to answer my own paradox many long years ago." The dinner continued from there in the same way with Prince William and Harry asking him questions about his life as Danvers and also about their grandmother, the Queen, in her youth.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Later that evening**

Danvers left the confines of Nottingham Castle and ran rather than transported himself to the nearby Nottingham Forest. It had changed a lot in the last few centuries. The outer miles had become overrun with pathways and parks but if you went further in it became more of a wilderness. That was where Danvers was heading. He knew from Djaq that Robin had left an hour before him and when he arrived Robin was sitting on a tree branch about forty metres up above the ground. He stopped at the bottom of the tree. This tree was their tree, it had sprouted from the very spot that Danvers had bitten Robin and turned him into what he was today. The tree was old, almost seven hundred years old but even before it had sprouted Robin and Danvers would come here to merely be alone together even if sometimes they hadn't seen each other in years and didn't speak while they sat together.

Robin made a gesture to him and Danvers bunched his muscles and jumped up almost four fifths of the way up to the branch. He boosted off of the trunk and landed smoothly beside Robin before less than gracefully collapsing on the branch with a leg on either side.

"I wanted to apologise." Robin told him quietly after almost ten minutes of silence with only the sound of night creatures moving about the forest.

"For what?" Danvers asked.

"For not letting us be together." Robin told him. "I just..."

"What?" Danvers asked when Robin didn't continue.

"I never knew whether you knew what was going to happen between us." Robin told him. It was the first time he'd ever really given a reason for their lack of relationship even though they both knew they wanted it. There were times when they were together that Danvers could smell the arousal on Robin and some of those situations had led further.

"You don't need to apologise for that." Danvers told him. "How could you truly enter a relationship when you don't know what the other person knows about it? You would have been at a disadvantage and that would have always nagged at you."

"You get it?" Robin asked him.

"Robin, we might never have really been a couple but I know you as well as anyone else." Danvers forced a chuckle. "We've known each other for eight hundred years and not once in all those years have I not loved everything about you."

Robin looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah. But then I knew that and that was half the problem. You knew everything there was about me yet I didn't even know where you came from, when, or what really happened in your past and my future."

"And now you do." Danvers shrugged. "You know I was neglected and abused, grew up under the false hopes of thousands of Wizards only to be a thorn in Voldemort's side until I was kidnapped by, well, me and turned and sent back."

"To me." Robin finished for him. "And to me none of that matters, it just completes you for us all. We finally know one of the most important things about you. The part that's been a gaping hole to us all and more importantly the thing that's stopped you being truly happy. Tell me, Danvers, now that you've finished what was started for you eight hundred years ago can you be happy?"

"I've been happy." Danvers told him. "I've had you, Djaq, Will, Alan and Much."

"But you still had that shadowing you." Robin pressed.

"I can be happy." Danvers nodded. "But..."

"With me." Robin assured him. "If you'll have me after so many years, you can have me."

"You know how much I love you. How much I want you." Danvers pointed out.

Robin sprung up onto his feet so he stood on the bench and then sat down so he was facing Danvers with their knees touching. His hands came down to sit on Danvers' knees and he squeezed. "You're never getting rid of me." Robin told him quietly before leaning in, finally together after so many centuries. If they had their way it would be weeks before any of the others heard from them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Three days later**

Danvers appeared in Djaq's 'lair' as the others called it. It was her little project and had spread from books to computers to satellites systems in the last few decades. The British Military Intelligence division worked their satellites surveillance from here. He and Robin had been spending the week to themselves but Djaq had called him. She'd been calm but Danvers knew her well enough to know she was starting to worry. The facility was deep beneath Nottingham Castle and was a mere outpost of the main Military Intelligence Division but it allowed Djaq to look at the images with an eye that even a computer couldn't match.

"What's the matter, Djaq?" Danvers asked as the black smoke that had made up his substance collected and became solid.

"I think Will and Much are in trouble." Djaq told him.

"When are one of your lovers not?" Danvers asked in part amusement but Djaq knew he was taking it seriously. It wasn't often that they could assume that one of them were in trouble.

"They went looking for Vampires in the US that were being a little too cavalier." Djaq told him. Danvers nodded to show he had already known that. "They called yesterday to say they were on their trail to a small town called Mulderik in California. That's the last I heard from them. And look at the satellite image this morning of Mulderik."

Danvers looked at the large screen in the middle of the wall of monitors. It showed a small mining town with a single road leading through it. What caught his attention though was the small black shapes all throughout the town. His eyes could easily make out that they were bodies and that blood had splattered from them all suggesting they'd been rather viciously attacked.

"We've been officially asked, politely of course, whether we had anyone in the area that could have done this." Djaq told him. "I told them to get their heads screwed on right."

Danvers chuckled before becoming serious. "Have you found sight of Will or Much in the town?"

"No. We didn't have a satellite in the area at the time." Djaq frowned. "And the Intel guys don't want to put in a request for access to the US ones. Our satellite shouldn't have been recording in the first place and we don't want to admit that it was."

"Robin's on his way." Danvers told her and glared at her when she went to comment on where he and Robin had been for the last three days. "I'd imagine you won't be happy unless either you or Alan are looking for Will so when Robin gets back have him and Alan board the fastest plane they can and have them meet me in LA. If we're going to hear any rumours about this it'll be from there."

"Where are you going?" Djaq asked not commenting on the decision to leave her in charge while they were all gone.

"I'm going to go find out what happened in that town." Danvers said simply.

"The military has quarantined it but you shouldn't have a problem." Djaq told him.

"No, I shouldn't." Danvers shook his head. "But then again Will and Much shouldn't have had any problems either."

Djaq kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me, Djaq." Danvers told her. "You know I'm very close with Will and Alan and Will and Much are as much family to me as they are to you." Djaq laughed knowing very well about the sexual nature to Danvers' friendship with Will and Alan.

Danvers quickly ran up to the Castle proper and to his rooms and loaded up with all the things he didn't normally carry but still took very little. His mobile was in his pocket as well as his satellite phone slash GPS just in case. He strapped a 9mm to the inside of his heavy black trench coat and then buckled a long Japanese Samurai Sword to his waist. He'd learnt how to fight with Samurai swords and been taught by a Master in how to make the swords. This sword was the final stage of twenty years of forging in Japan before he'd returned to England. He wasn't particularly worried about being stopped by the authorities and asked for licences to carry either but he had them though he wouldn't take them with him.

With everything he wanted to take on his person he walked out onto his balcony, jumped up onto the railing and leapt out into the five story dropped, bursting into a trail of black mist as he went which streamed away into the west.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Mulderik - California**

Because Danvers didn't particularly like this form of transport it always seemed to go on for hours but in reality it took him only ten minutes to transport himself across the world. He reformed his shape when he arrived in Mulderik and stepped into the shadows of a building and vanished from human sight. He was instantly hit by the smell that pervaded the town. The bodies had only been dead since that morning but it was the blood that hit Danvers. Throughout the town it was a massacre, every adult and child and even all of the animals had been slaughtered. Vultures dotted the town but they sensed Danvers' presence and took to the air in fright.

Danvers moved from shadow to shadow hiding from the patrols of armed army men that walked carefully between the bodies from time to time. It had been a while since Danvers had seen anything like this. There had been incidences in Iraq of villages slaughtered like this but not in North America or Europe.

Predator Vampires didn't have scents as such, at least not that any normal creature could smell but they could sense the presence of each other unless they were trying to hide from each other specifically. Will and Much hadn't been trying to hide from Danvers, Robin, Alan or Djaq and Danvers found their trail after a few minutes and followed it into the middle of the town. Along the way he found a single pile of ash in the middle of the road and a slightly charred spike of wood. It wasn't a carved Vampire Stake like Slayers and Vampire Hunters used but it was something that somebody might have picked up to use.

This had been Vampires then and possibly a few Demons and by the numbers of corpses around and the way they were clustered together Danvers had to guess that there had been at least twenty attackers. Clearly somebody in the town had gotten a lucky hit on a Vampire but the town had been surrounded and wiped out over night and clearly they had wanted to do it in such a way that it wasn't instantly obvious as being Vampires so they hadn't fed from them, simply torn out their throats or killed them in other ways. This had been sport.

Will and Much had been here after the attackers had left but he couldn't follow their trail once they reached the centre of the town. Something had happened there to them and they'd disappeared and they couldn't for some reason escape.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Los Angeles**

It was night time when Danvers finally stopped looking for clues around the town and instead he headed to LA. Robin and Alan would arrive in the early hours of the next morning but for now he was going to show his face around the Underworld and see what came out of the cracks. There weren't many demons or Vampires that couldn't sense his power and word quickly spread when he was in an area. If it was a demon or Vampire that had Will and Alan, if they were even in serious trouble, then he wanted it known that Danvers was interested enough to travel across the world and show up at their doorstep.

The club he went to was a hidden one for demons and Vampires that Danvers had been to once about fifteen years ago. There was a queue of demons outside the door of all sorts from Vampires to a mud golem that stunk to high heaven and that was saying something for a demon. Danvers appeared out of the shadows across the dark alleyway and the queue stared at him as their minds worked to figure out what he was. It wasn't until Danvers was standing in front of the three Vampire 'Bouncers' that they figured it out and their eyes widened. At least these three did.

"Hey buddy, there's a line here!" The Vampire at the head of the line shouted angrily.

"He looks human to me." The demon behind him pointed out and there was muttering in the queue and Danvers heard the term 'kill him' a few times. Danvers turned to stare at the first Vampire and bared his teeth. The Vampire backpedalled in near panic as he spotted the fangs but without the shift in his features. Now they knew.

"Looks can be deceiving." Danvers hissed dangerously. "All I can see is a bunch of soon to be dead demons."

"You can go in, Sir." The Vampire in charge of the bouncers told him, hastily trying to distract Danvers from slaughtering them all simply because he felt like it.

Danvers turned back to the door of the club and with a complete lack of effect he walked past the three Vampire bouncers and into the surprisingly well lit interior to the club. There was a bar running down the right of the club, seats to the left and a dance floor in the centre. This place had always amused him, who knew that karaoke bars would be popular amongst demons. Danvers took a good look around from the door knowing that nobody was going to come in after him and risk him starting a war on the inside.

A Vampire couple walked towards the door and spotted him and it took about three seconds for them to recognise his face and when they did their fangs vanished almost as if trying to hide from him and they scuttled back through the club attracting attention as they went. Danvers spotted the owner to the club and began slowly walking in his direction ignoring the stares he was starting to get as the crowd slowly came to a standstill. The owner looked up at him and probably would have gone pale if he could.

As he walked through the crowd he did see someone he actually knew sneak out of the back but didn't show that he'd recognised the two hundred and fifty year old Vampire. He'd catch up to Spike as soon as he found out if this guy knew anything about the attacks.

He wasn't subtle about finding out what he wanted to know. It was in a demon's nature to hide the truth even if they couldn't see anything to gain by it but you could rely on a demon to spill everything he knew if he thought there was a genuine threat against his or her life and five minutes later Danvers dropped the owner on the floor after deciding that the guy truly didn't know anything.

Danvers vanished to their eyes as he left the room, moving faster than normal eyes could register and found himself in the middle of the road outside about a fiftieth of a second later. He knew Spike's scent rather well especially after the odd tryst that they'd shared over the last two decades and he could follow the Vampire even after he quite obviously got onto a motorcycle. It became a little more difficult with how the trail was scattered by the fast wind but still possible to follow.

Danvers found Spike half way across the city ten minutes of running later and almost laughed when he found him talking to another familiar face though he hadn't seen this particular Vampire for a hundred years. Angelus, the leader of the gang that Spike had been in and that Danvers had scared for over ten years until they left Britain after trying to attack him for the fame.

"We have to warn the Slayer that he's snooping around." Angelus was telling him as Danvers leapt up onto the roof of the building opposite them and walked to the edge, they were about fifty metres away but he had no trouble hearing everything they were talking about.

"Get a clue, mate." Spike chuckled. "You weren't there when her predecessor went insane and tried to kill them. These guys don't play for second and if she's involved in it like the rumours are saying then she's in for it."

"Then all the better to warn her. We're leaving in an hour. Go get the truck and I'll let the others know." Angelus said just as Spike turned and froze when he saw Danvers on the roof of the building. Seeing his black trench coat fluttering around his silhouette.

"Maybe now's a good idea." Spike muttered but Angelus heard him and spun to look where he was looking. Danvers stepped off of the building and dropped three flights to land smoothly on the ground. Angelus didn't hang around and started running. Danvers let him go as he walked towards Spike who seemed almost frozen in place. Danvers stopped a foot from him and raised a hand and touched Spike on the side of the face.

"So, Spike." Danvers smirked as he leaned and in and kiss the corner of his mouth, lightly flicking his tongue over his lips before pulling his head away though he left his hand in place. "Two of my friends have disappeared whilst tracking a group of Vampires. I know they were in Mulderik just after the attack there this morning. Now you tell me what you know about it or you're moving from my good book to my bad one. And just to let you know, people don't stay in my bad book for long if you get my drift."

"This is all I know." Spike promised. "A rumour reached us earlier today that the Slayer helped some humans capture the Vamps that did that to Mulderik."

"And why would the Slayer help capture Vampires?" Danvers asked.

"I don't know." Spike shook his head regardless of Danvers' hand keeping him in place, more mentally than physically. "That's all that I've heard."

"Alright Spike." Danvers took back his hand. "I suppose I'll believe you but you know what will happen to you if I find out you've lied to me or held something back. Get out of here Spike and catch up with our dear Angelus but if you think you can get to the Slayer before I do then you're insane."

Spike stepped back away from Danvers who took a step back as well and vanished into the darkness. He hid in the shadows as Spike ran off in the direction that Angelus had gone and sighed as he lifted his cell phone. The Duchess of Norfolk wasn't going to be happy when she learnt another of her Slayers had fell on Danvers' wrong side.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Sunnydale**

Danvers had met up with Alan and Robin the next morning at the international airport and they'd gone out to feed for an hour together before returning to the airport where they'd gotten a flight to California and then used a helicopter to fly the remaining distance to Sunnydale. It was mid afternoon when they arrived but knowing that it was highly unlikely for Angel or Spike to have reached the town ahead of him they laid low for the day. Even if the two Vampires had reached the town they wouldn't be able to move about in the daylight.

Robin did go out in the early evening to track down Buffy Summers' home. In good will the Duchess of Norfolk had given Danvers the identity of the current Slayer and also a quick rundown of her history. She was an outcast Slayer as they were known. The Watchers council tended to hunt down potential Slayers and train them on the small chance that they became the Slayer when the previous one died and even if they didn't they were good Vampire Hunters anyway. Buffy, as an outcast one, hadn't even known of Vampires before she'd gained her superhuman abilities. Her Watcher had appeared to train her but been killed and she'd been expelled for burning down her school to kill a Vampire gang.

She'd moved to Sunnydale with her mother and sister almost five years ago and gone up against a Vampire Lord, a human turned immortal monster and even an exiled chaos god. Her biggest claim to fame however, to Danvers at least, was that she was still alive, which probably broke the record for Slayers. Two years was the normal and even if they weren't killed by demons they had a habit of going insane which Danvers had seen a number of times.

Robin called Danvers once the sun was down and Danvers and Alan met him in one of the eight graveyards in Sunnydale and merely watched from a distance as the girl patrolled with what seemed to be two humans though Danvers could smell the magic on the girl. The three lurked in the darkness, invisible to even the Vampires lurking throughout the graveyard.

"How are you going to play this?" Robin asked him quietly from a few metres to his left.

"I want to see how good she is first." Danvers replied. "She's too high on adrenaline at the moment, we'll prove we're a threat now so she's forced to listen quietly to what I have to tell her tomorrow."

"Alright." Robin agreed and Danvers glanced in Alan's direction. He could just about make out his friend's outline in the darkness and Alan nodded to show he agreed as well.

They watched from a distance as four Vampires ambushed the Slayer and her two friends who from the way they acted were less than qualified to aid the Slayer but then again between the two of them they took out a Vampire so they were of some use though Danvers knew by the way the Slayer fought that she wouldn't have been at serious risk against even greater odds than four against one.

"These Vampires just don't learn." The young man declared as Buffy took out the last of the four Vampires. "I mean you'd think they knew they needed more of them to take out the great Slayer."

Danvers walked out into the moonlight but his appearance wasn't noticed just yet and he merely stood in between two headstones. Robin and Alan stayed hidden for the time being since they knew that Danvers could handle himself and if the Slayer did, by some miracle, out class him he had the speed to escape or could even just change into black mist and disappear.

"Xander, could you keep your voice down?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you'll alert every single one of them here." The Wicca Witch pointed out.

"Isn't that the idea?" Xander asked Buffy. "Draw them all out and kick their arse..."

He trailed off as he looked past Buffy and saw Danvers standing in the moonlight. He could only really see the outline of his clothing but Danvers' face was well lit. Tomorrow would be the first full moon. "Don't you mean arses, Xander?" Buffy asked. "I can take on more than one of everything you know."

"Perhaps not of everything." Danvers spoke up silkily making Buffy spin to face him. Danvers was half impressed that she fell straight into a fighting stance.

There was a moment as Buffy's 'radar' told her he was a Vampire even if he wasn't deformed like the normal ones were. "Look buddy, one against one with the Slayer really isn't a good idea. I'm a little out of breath from the last ones so maybe if you leave right now I won't beat you black and blue."

"Vampires don't bruise, Slayer." Danvers said simply and took a step forward. Buffy rocked back on her heels ready in case he rushed at her and a single sweep of her right arm produced a stake that had been tucked into the back of her belt.

"You're a cocky one." She told him. "I give this fight maybe three seconds and then you'll be dust. Maybe I can make time tonight for just one of you."

"Yeah pal!" Xander spoke up. "And you'll have to fight all three of us."

Danvers didn't do anything as mundane as shrugging but when he took a step forward it was clear that such a thing as three of them against himself wasn't something he was worried about. Buffy did actually shrug and launched herself at him, planning to simply stab him in the heart and be done with it. Danvers dodged slowly, caught the wooden stake in his hand and ripped it from her grasp. He pushed her sideways as he disengaged and with a quick dash that she couldn't see he was on the other side of the two humans. He let his trench coat make noise as he moved however and the two humans snapped around to face him.

"I believe that was three seconds." Danvers pointed out dryly and heard a laugh from his right though he doubted the Slayer could have heard Robin's amusement. He eyed the solid stake in his hand and raised it up before tightening his grip. It took all of his strength but it snapped in half making all three of them jolt backwards in surprise. Danvers licked his teeth drawing attention to his Vampire fangs and he saw all three of them look from his teeth to his forehead where the most obvious deformation on a normal Vampire was. "Now it's time for you to reassess your own cockiness, Slayer, or didn't your Watcher tell you what exactly happened to your predecessor?"

"You've got fangs, that makes you a Vampire." She told him as she moved through her friend's, now shielding them slightly. "And if you don't know what a Slayer does then let me give you a lesson. Slayers slay Vampires."

"Very clever." Danvers drawled before darting forwards faster then she could see. He wanted to prove to her she didn't have a real chance against him and that meant defeating her so absolutely there was no doubt in her mind. Danvers knew that all of the slander and cockiness was only to unnerve her own prey so he didn't hold that against her and the quicker she realised he could kill her whenever he decided the faster he'd be able to find Will and Much.

In one blur he sent Xander and the Wiccan flying in opposite directions and engaged the Slayer in a serious fight. She tried to fend him off but his movements, slow for him, were a blur to her and all she could do was try to keep moving to try to avoid his shots. Danvers held back his hits but the decimated wooden stake proved his strength to her and she knew he was toying with her. He hit her square in the shoulder sending her stumbling sideways and then twisted his body and slammed his boot into the side of her chest, just under her arm, knocking the wind out of her and sending her tumbling to the ground.

Danvers crouched down over her and she made to flip up. Danvers backed away and she regained her feet. He held up a hand and from the shadows behind him Robin and Alan appeared though they were holding weapons as well. Robin had a Compound bow with its strung wires and pulley systems whereas Alan held a crusader type sword, old English type but it was engraved along almost every inch of it. Djaq had made it for him and it was made the same way as Danvers' Samurai sword.

"How long do you think you can last against all three of us?" Danvers asked. "You could barely defend yourself against me and I was going easy on you."

"Talk to your Watcher about what we are. The Watchers Council is well aware of who we are and have rules that you are to obey around us." Alan said and Danvers wasn't surprised by the harshness to his tone. He was probably extremely worried about Will, his husband for eight hundred years.

"We'll be back to talk to you soon, Buffy Summers, and you'd be better off being polite." Danvers told her. "If you still think you can beat us you can have another try tomorrow but perhaps you should ask William what happened the last time I went up against a Slayer?"

Before any of them could speak Danvers, Robin and Alan had vanished into the shadows and were half way to the motel they were staying in before Buffy had checked that her two friends were alright.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next day**

As Danvers, Robin and Alan walked through the busy street they drew a few looks from passersby because of their clothing but Robin drew the longest stairs because since they were kitted out for fighting Robin had his compound bow in its harness over his back.

"Spike made good time." Danvers pointed out as they approached their destination. They'd gotten information when he'd called the Watchers Council that Giles Rupert, a British Wiccan who was also Buffy Summers' Watcher, owned a magic shop in Sunnydale and they'd also been told that it doubled as Buffy's training centre.

"You know his scent pretty well." Robin pointed out with an amused glint in his eye.

"As well as any other lover I've had in the past." Danvers told him. Robin wasn't bothered by that bit of information, he'd already known that Will and Alan had been Danvers' lovers at times and Danvers and Robin hadn't made Alan take a separate bed to them last night. It wasn't their way between the six Predator Vampires. He said the next bit to Robin but didn't leave Alan out since he knew that he wouldn't be bothered. "I doubt he'd be closed to us both if you wanted to see what you were missing." Robin laughed and Danvers got back on topic. "Angelus is also here."

"That should make it interesting." Alan chuckled but it was fake and Danvers turned to look at him, as did Robin. The six were so close that it hurt to think of any of them in danger and Robin loved Much as his closest companion whilst Will was part of Alan and Djaq as much as their own hearts were part of their bodies.

"You two go in through the back. I'll walk in the front door." Danvers said.

"And if Angelus and William are hiding in the back somewhere?" Robin asked.

"Find them." Danvers shrugged. "They know better than to try anything on us."

"William maybe but Angelus may try his hand after a hundred years." Robin pointed out.

"If he tries his hand, break it." Danvers laughed. The two chuckled and disappeared as they dashed around the building. Danvers just walked normally straight up to the front door and opened it and walked inside.

The inside was set up like a museum with glass sided cabinets displaying things of real value whilst books lined the back and on some shelves as well. Behind the counter were numerous powders and dispensed items. A quick scan of the room showed that it was mostly genuine things but a lot of the on display things were mundane or weren't innately magical until a witch used them.

Danvers assessed all of the room in a quick glance. Buffy was there as were Xander and the Wiccan witch from last night. They were sitting around a table covered in books that they'd clearly been looking through. An older man, who had scarcely used Wiccan magic, was leaning against the counter rubbing at his nose. Another two young women were in the room, one with Wiccan magic and the other without who was holding Xander's shoulders.

They turned as one to look at him and tensed up a second before Buffy leapt to her feet and reached for a silver letter opener sitting on the table. "Is that how you normally treat customers?"

"Buffy..." The man started before turning to look at him and stumbling back with a curse.

"Oh, so you recognise me then?" Danvers smirked just as there was an irritated cry from the back door and Spike came tumbling through it followed by an amused Robin though only Danvers could see the amusement.

"Watch it with the sunlight, mate!" Spike cursed at Robin as he dodged around the light reflecting from the window. He looked around the room. "Oh, it's you again."

"Play nice, Spike." Danvers told him just as Alan led Angelus into the room with his arm trapped behind his back. "Any trouble?" Danvers asked Alan.

"No, I thought you said they caused you trouble back in the day?" Alan teased before throwing Angelus forwards into the room though he was nice enough to not throw him into the sunlight.

"Perhaps we could shut a few blinds?" Danvers suggested. "Unless you'd like roasted Vampire on the menu?"

"No, you'd prefer roasted human." Xander spat.

"Actually fresh human is better." Danvers shrugged. "Cooked human has a rather strange taste to it."

"Willow, close the blinds and lock the door please." The man sighed. Willow frowned but flicked her wrist and the blinds snapped down over the windows.

"How come you can walk in here during the day?" Buffy asked.

"And you're her Watcher?" Danvers turned to the man.

"You leave Giles out of this." Buffy demanded.

"Cool it Slayer, you're starting to antagonise me." Danvers hissed, showing his fangs.

"Buffy, just settle down before you get hurt." Angelus told her. "Fighting him won't do you any good."

"Listen to him, Slayer." Danvers chuckled. "He and his little gang tried it a hundred odd years ago and found out how little patience I have with people that try to kill me."

"You're still a Vampire." Buffy told him sternly.

"And you're still essentially a human." Robin hissed out.

"Duke Orion." Giles spoke up. "I apologise if you think that Buffy has done something to offend you but I assure you..."

"It is not you who can assure me, Watcher." Danvers cut him off. "Perhaps first you should inform your Slayer of what I am and why she can't kill me."

"Buffy, this is Duke Danvers Orion..." Giles started off.

"Since when does a Vamp get away with calling himself a Duke?" Xanders asked.

"Since he saved the King of England from assassination." Spike laughed, he was enjoying this. "Nearly eight hundred years ago."

"Oh, so he's old. I've killed old Vamps before." Buffy declared.

"But nobody has managed to even wound a Predator Vampire before." Giles said and Willow and the two other girls in the room gasped.

"Oh, so they know what a Predator Vampire is?" Danvers laughed.

"Listen Buffy. Predator Vampires aren't demons, their basically humans with Vampire abilities. They appeared out of nowhere. Danvers here was the first, he changed his friends during the Crusades and they've been a major part of Britain's hierarchy for eight centuries." Giles said.

"He's friends with the Queen of England." Spike added in.

"And he killed..." Giles trailed off.

"Tell her Watcher." Danvers caught his eyes.

"He killed your predecessor." Giles winced.

"Nottingham Castle is my home." Danvers spoke up as gasps spread through the room again. "Within the walls nobody may attack another. Not even if a Vampire comes face to face with the Duchess of Norfolk or the Slayer."

"Duchess...?" Xander frowned.

"The Duchy of Norfolk were the ones to set up the Watchers Council. The Duchess is the current leader of the Watchers. Basically she's my boss." Giles sighed.

"And a good friend of mine." Danvers pointed out. "Hence why when I heard a little rumour that you were involved with the capture of two of my friends I called her and asked for some information and she told me where to find you."

"Why would the Watchers Council help a Vampire?" Buffy asked.

"Because I've coexisted with them for hundreds of years and I keep the Vampire and Demonic populations of Great Britain in check." Danvers told her. "Now, were you anywhere near Mulderik?"

"What?" Buffy frowned but Danvers had seen the realisation in her eyes.

Danvers drew in a breath. "Spike, kindly tell the Slayer here exactly how long her predecessor lasted after she went insane and disobeyed the Watchers Council and decided to try to kill me."

"After you decided to actually put a stop to convincing her to leave?" Spike asked. "About two seconds."

"Precisely." Danvers nodded.

"We drink blood to stay alive." Alan spoke up making the room spin on him before Buffy deciding that Danvers was worth keeping an eye on. "But our bite alone doesn't change the human into a demon, all it does it take some of their blood. You might be the Slayer but you're not built to hunt us."

"Everything is hunted." Willow pointed out.

"We are Predator Vampires." Danvers said simply. "We're not hunted by anything."

"Listen buddy, I've gone rounds with a God and survived. Glory is eating dust because she took me on." Buffy told him. "Hell, I've staked Dracula."

"That's all very good, Slayer, but it doesn't change the fact that you have answers I want and you are starting to try my patience." Danvers hissed. "Were you involved with the capture of two Vampires like myself?"

"Why should I tell you anything?" Buffy hissed.

Danvers burst into black mist and slammed into her, picking her up and throwing her up into the air and through a banister onto the balcony up near the ceiling. The mist reshaped above her and lifted her up by the neck and dangled her out over the edge. Her friends scattered and only Spike, Alan and Robin remained still to watch.

"Perhaps getting the information out of you isn't worth the trouble but your friends might be more willing to tell me what I want to know." Danvers hissed showing his fangs. It was Alan that moved and lifted Xander up by the arm and locked him into place with an iron strong arm over his chest with his back to Alan's chest. Alan's teeth were out and it would take him little more than a microsecond to sink them into his neck.

Danvers let go of Buffy and she fell but Danvers was faster and was down under her before she could twist to land on her feet. She hit the floor feet first but Danvers kicked her in the back sending her sprawling. "Stop trying to fight me, Slayer. You can't win and the sooner you realise that..."

Danvers was interrupted when Angelus attacked him. He dodged the attack even as he saw his face deform. Angelus tried to hit him again and Danvers caught his arm in his right hand and then smacked his left across, shattering the vampire's elbow and both arm bones before throwing him back into the counter. Buffy had regained her feet and she jumped at him.

"Enough!" Robin hissed from right behind her and she heard the distinctive sound of a bow string being pulled taught. "You might be superhuman but you can't dodge an arrow from this bow at only half a foot. It'll blow your skull into about a hundred pieces."

There was something in Robin's voice that made her go still. There was no doubt that Robin would do it. Danvers moved out of the way and slowly walked towards the Watcher and hoisted him away from the counter where he was leaning. "I'm done playing nice, Watcher. You know how I run things and you know I don't threaten people like this if I don't have to. I want to know how your Slayer got involved in the disappearance of my friends and bear in mind I'm really not in the mood to play these games and I really don't give a fuck whether any of you get out of here alive! The Slayer gets reborn and the humans really don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things."

"If you kill them all you'll start another war with the Watchers Council." Giles told him.

"I've killed three Slayers in eight hundred years, Watcher!" Danvers hissed angrily. "And one of my friends killed another one. None of us even broke a sweat doing it. Do you really think a bunch of Wiccans and scholars scare me?"

Giles didn't answer so Danvers sighed and turned to the Slayer. "Unfortunately for you Slayer I recognise your scent as one I found in Mulderik. These two Wiccans were there too so unless you start talking I'm going to kill you for attacking a Predator Vampire without provocation."

"Alright already!" Buffy glared. "I get it, you're a bad arse. We were hunting down a pack of Vampires and Demons that were coming this way, they attacked the town and we got there too late. There were only two Vamps left. Terra and Willow subdued their strength in a trap and the Project guys tranquilised them. Happy now?"

Danvers eyed her and then flickered his eyes to Robin standing with the arrow almost touching the back of her head. Robin nodded to show he was happy and slowly released the tension in the bow and lowered it. Alan slackened his hold on Xander and patted him on the shoulder.

"Where can we find somebody from this Project?" Danvers asked.

"You'll just kill them." Buffy declared.

"No." Danvers shook his head. "I only kill when I need to. I won't kill them unless I have reason to."

"Take him to them, Buffy." Giles told her. Buffy looked ready to argue but deflated slightly and gave in.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	5. Beings of Legend

The Slow Passage of Time

A/N; Final chapter. I know this story is short but it was always going to be. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it and I look forward to reading what you've all got to say about it.

Chapter 5; Beings of Legend

**Sunnydale**

Danvers had given them the benefit of the doubt in that he gave them an hour to get themselves together while he and Robin waited outside in plain view of the doors to the shop. Alan was lurking on the roof of the building and his heightened hearing could easily monitor what was happening within. With Will and Much in danger as it were they weren't going to risk being betrayed. This Slayer was their best option right now and he didn't want to have to kill her if she betrayed him. The only remaining option to him if that happened was to threaten the United States Government but he didn't know whether that would do any good unless he put action into his threat and he doubted that his Queen would appreciate such a thing.

He was going to give the United States Government a warning with this though. The Project wasn't a brand new concept, perhaps a different name to an old idea but a few Presidents had created groups to study demons and vampires and it rarely ended well. Danvers was talking to the Captain of the _Predator_ on satellite phone and arranging a quick get away from the United States if it was necessary. Danvers didn't keep it near to Britain all the time and since the _HMS Britannia_ had been decommissioned it had become a world famous symbol of Great Britain and it was often visiting different parts of the British territories or Commonwealth. At the moment it was in Halifax but within the hour it would slip its anchor from the middle of the harbour and be southbound at its full speed of thirty knots. That way it could be off Washington before sunrise the next day and ready for them to fly out to it and sail into international waters. If the US Navy wanted to attack him in international waters than they were insane.

" Danvers." Robin warned him and Danvers said goodbye to the Captain and ended the call and pocketed the phone before looking to see the four humans coming towards him.

"For the sake of the two Vampires we shall leave as soon as the sun sets." Danvers announced, cutting Buffy off sharply. "A helicopter will be on the hospital helipad at six pm sharp. I suggest that if you're late you and your family begin running for I shall find you and cut you to shreds."

"Make sure there's enough seats for six of us then." Xander announced.

"I will not be held responsible if one of these humans is killed." Danvers told the Slayer simply.

"As if you care." Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I?" Danvers scoffed before half turning. "I do not trust Slayers or Watchers in general so one of us will be following you for the rest of the day. If you attempt to contact this Project prior to our rescue then you will all die. Is that clear?"

"You can't just murder humans in this country." Xander pointed out. "I don't know how things are run in your country..."

Danvers moved before anyone could blink and even Buffy was taken by surprise as Danvers grabbed the human by the front of his shirt and hoisted him three feet into the air. "Listen to me you little worm. There is nothing this country can do to touch me. I am a Predator." He hissed close to his face before dropping him and turned to Buffy who was eyeing him with concern. "Stop playing games with me, Slayer. I'm growing tired of merely handing out threats."

"If you kill any of them I won't help you." Buffy warned.

"And after I kill the second?" Danvers asked. "How many of your friends are you willing to lose just to protect this Project? I doubt you're willing to lose even one. In contrast I am willing to destroy half of this country to get my friends back."

Danvers and Robin turned and in a blur they were gone without any sign that they'd even been there.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Sunset**

Danvers watched from the edge of the grass beside the helipad as the sleek black helicopter touched down. The air washed over the three Predator Vampires and Danvers turned his head away from the downwash to look at the approached figures. Angel and Spike didn't look happy to be out in the daylight but the sun was just below the horizon so they weren't in any danger. The helicopter wound down and the co-pilot got out to open the rear door for them. These men were used to Danvers or his people calling on them when they were in the US and they were the type that didn't ask questions. For enough money they'd put you anywhere in the country as long as it wasn't too badly outside of the laws.

Danvers waited for Buffy to finish giving their destination to the pilot who nodded to Danvers to say they could do it. After that Buffy got in with the two Vampires, two witches and the single human and finally Danvers, Robin and Alan climbed up and closed the door behind them. Danvers quickly pulled a headset from its hanger and slipped it over his head.

"Any idea for an ETA?" He asked after the co-pilot was back inboard and the rotors were powering up again.

"An hour out sir." The pilot interrupted. "It isn't far."

"Keep low if you can for a while." Danvers told him knowing that he didn't want a burst of sunlight coming in and hitting Angel or Spike.

"What do you want us to do afterwards?" The co-pilot asked as the pilot pulled them into a hover and turned them towards the setting sun and pushed them forwards.

"Land nearby." Danvers ordered. "We'll need picking up afterwards and taking to the closest airport." He'd already arranged for a private jet to be available for them at the nearest airport and it would have them to the east coast within an hour of take off. Hopefully they'd be far into international waters before anyone senior enough to mobilise against them even heard of the attack.

The chopper held position about eight hundred feet above the complex that Buffy had given the pilot and Danvers opened the side door after checking with the co-pilot and looked down over the mountainside complex, his eyes easily finding all of the entrances on the ground. He looked at Alan and Robin who moved to the opening.

"Sir, we've got some sort of ATC trying to contact us. They're saying we're in controlled airspace." The co-pilot told him.

"Are we?" Danvers asked back.

"Nothing civilian or military." The co-pilot assured him. "What do you want us to say?"

"Pretend to think they're a couple of kids with a toy radio." Danvers said simply. "Take a slow loop of the valley then set down just outside of the main gate."

"With what kind of firepower down there, sir?" He asked almost in accusation.

"I'll signal you once the way is clear." Danvers told him before turning to Buffy and met her eyes with dangerous glittering ones before he flowed backwards and burst into black mist that spirally up through the rotor blades before spinning around towards the ground.

Danvers flowed around the base in only a few seconds before entering what was the command hut for the defences and reformed himself right between the three guards. In only a second they were all dead. He wasn't going for subtle this time. The world knew what happened when his family were attacked. He was out of the door a second later after smashing holes in their computer defences. This was only an outstation but it would give them pause for thought.

He flowed back across the grounds as mist towards the main gate to find Robin and Alan standing in the centre of the road waiting for him. He gripped his knees as he leaned forwards letting Robin rub his back for a moment while he got over using the black mist.

The two had taken out all the perimeter guards and dogs as well as smashed open the front gate and taken out the gate video cameras. Danvers nodded to Alan as he straightened up. "Go." He whispered and Alan was gone in a blur, off to scout out the main entrance and take out anybody coming out. The people inside would know the surface had been taken out by now but they'd have little chance against Alan until they realised what they were up against and by then it would be too late to call out the big guns.

Danvers lifted a penlight and blinked it up at where he could see the helicopter lingering in the air. Nothing visible came out of the penlight but the pilots could see the laser marker with their night vision goggles and almost instantly the helicopter banked around and within twenty seconds was touching down on the road.

Buffy and her five friends jumped out and Danvers waved the helicopter off and it disappeared over the trees to land and wait for Danvers' call. "Did you kill all of them?" Xander gasped.

"All of them." Danvers nodded.

"All they did was capture two of your friends." Buffy accused.

"Careful." Robin spoke silkily. "You helped."

"You're supposed to be the great Robin Hood!" Willow frowned.

"Welcome to the real world." Robin told her darkly. He was acting dark but Danvers knew he just didn't care anymore to explain himself to people like this.

"Did you guys leave us any?" Spike asked smoothly.

"Spike." Danvers sighed before turning and starting to walk up the track towards the main entrance. The others followed behind him. "You still don't understand how much I know."

"How did you find out about this damn chip?" Spike wasn't really shocked.

"The Duchess of Norfolk." Danvers said simply and Willow and the other witch gasped in surprise. "She has requested that I do not aid you."

"Wait, you could get rid of this thing?" Spike asked.

Danvers tilted his head slightly. "Possibly. But it doesn't exactly damage your persona, my dead Spike."

"Fuck you." Spike snorted in amusement.

It wasn't long before they approached a heavy metal door, firmly closed, but being watched by Alan who turned to glance at them. "I can hear six people behind the door. Nobody else around. This is the only entrance."

"Oh and you're sure?" Xander laughed and Danvers just looked at him and he shut up. The human was more overwhelmed than anything else, they were basically hostages right now.

"What do you think?" Robin asked. "They look like they open outwards."

"So you're not strong enough to knock them down?" Buffy grinned, finally happy that she had something that Danvers, Robin and Much couldn't do.

"It's about a foot thick." Danvers said. "Any sort of explosion would only press them in on each other."

"So we knock?" Spike asked.

"How about I knock from the inside?" Danvers took a step forwards and burst into black mist, vanishing in the dark of the night. He flowed at the door and the mist spread out around the seams seeking the smallest of holes to get though and he found hundreds and soon the humans on the other side were panicking and several opened fire but their bullets just shot through him. Danvers attacked them with the same level of mercy as those outside and soon all six were dead. Finally he turned to the doors and eyed them before looking at the box on the side. He hit the button and there was a thud as the locks disengaged and the doors began to pivot outwards.

The others moved into the lit complex and the humans looked physically ill at the site of the dead bodies even though Danvers had barely touched them. They all had broken necks but that wasn't immediately evident. "Welcome to reality." Danvers said simply. "It's time for you to start helping."

"We've never been here before." Buffy defended.

"Bullshit." Danvers said simply and grabbed Willow, the wicca witch, on the arm and half pushed and half threw her down the corridor ahead of them. "The slayer and the witches scents are already here. If you don't help then we won't protect you when the bullets start flying and don't forget the fact that as far as they're concerned you helped us break in."

"That's a lie." Buffy accused.

"Oh dear, is it?" Alan hissed and grabbed the back of her neck. "You know what, Slayer? You are really starting to piss me off. Let me just point something out to you, we've broken into this facility without a scratch on us and without really actually trying. You think we really need your help? You're only here because Danvers thinks you should have the chance to redeem yourself and see the light that you can't hurt us and shouldn't try next time but I say we just kill all of you for helping capture our friends."

"Alan, that's enough." Robin spoke too quietly for even the two Vampires to hear and Alan released the young woman.

"You know what?" Buffy started. "You don't scare me. There's only so much you can kill me, beyond that you've really got nothing to bargain with and guess what I've already died once. It's not so bad. So threaten me all you like."

"Alright then." Danvers shrugged and blurred forwards even as Alan slid out of the way seeing something snap in Danvers. Danvers struck Buffy with almost the full power of his strength and he felt her ribs give way in the instant that his force travelled into her. She flew backwards through Xander and Willow and smashed the back of her head into the ceiling before crashing into the wall with another sickening thud and then finally came to a rest on the floor. Angel launched himself at Danvers but Danvers merely caught him by the throat, ignoring Angel's return grip on his arms. Angel was trying to crush the bones in Danvers' arms but Danvers' arms weren't easy to damage. Angel's face twisted and deformed as he let his demonic side loose but Danvers merely lifted him a foot off the ground and shook his right arm sending Angel flying backwards into the wall.

Angel caught himself just as the sound of footsteps came to them all but Danvers ignored that for the time being, spun around and slammed his heel into the Vampire's chest, breaking bones and if he had been a human he would have probably put his foot all the way through him and into the wall. Angel slumped to the ground and Danvers finally turned to the next greatest threat, the dozen soldiers that had just run into the corridor and taken up a blockade type formation.

He dimly noticed Spike and the three humans diving for the ground but Robin, Alan and himself didn't even flinch until the twelve soldiers opened fire on fully automatic. All three of them fell into their true beings and the world almost seemed to slow down. They could focus on the bullets flying towards them and with deft movements, only what was necessary, they dodged all of the bullets. Robin was the first to attack and he paused in his movement only long enough to grab a handful of arrows from the quiver on his back. He tossed them into the air and he, along with Danvers and Alan, grabbed a couple each and even while still dodging bullets threw them at almost the speed of a bow down the corridor.

Before the soldiers knew what was happening half of them were thrown back by arrows burying deep into their necks and a split second later three forms were blurring through them and that was that. The twelve soldiers were dead.

Danvers looked at Robin and Alan who both had stern gazes as they looked down at the bloodied bodies and then around for the next danger. Danvers walked calmly back down the corridor and saw the three humans watching them in fear. The whole thing had only taken about ten seconds and most of that had been the three Predator Vampires merely dodging bullets. "Do you get it now?" Danvers hissed dangerously. "I couldn't really care about her, if she dies then another will awaken and the Watchers Council can't really complain about the loss."

"Except that you killed somebody that only wanted to better the world." The final witch, who had yet to say anything, spoke softly.

"Perhaps she should have been a little more open to the concept that we're not Vampires destined to be killed." Danvers said simply. "Look up the Duchy of Nottingham and see what you want in it but only the British Empire has bettered the world more than I."

"That doesn't justify this kind of slaughter." The girl told him.

"Who said I was trying to justify it to you?" Danvers chuckled derisively. "The humans and the Wizards want to go to war with us and this is to show them that it's not possible for them to win."

With that Danvers, Robin and Alan were gone from the corridor and were deep within the complex, following the scents of their two friends, in a matter of a few seconds. Eight more humans died on the way until not even a minute later they were breaking through a containment door only to be deafened by a loud alarm. Finally the humans had declared their loss and were evacuating, fleeing from the three demi-gods ripping through their soldiers.

"Will!" Alan shouted even as he hit the bars between him and his husband in anger. They bent but it would take more to actually break them. Another alarm started as Alan broke a connection on the bars but they didn't really care about that. Danvers travelled through the bars as black mist and knelt beside Will's weakened form and he knew instantly how they'd weakened them. Without much of their powers and beaten to an inch of their lives they'd then had most of their blood drained out so they couldn't heal. He put an arm in front of Will's mouth and used his other hand to lift Will's semi-conscious form so that he could bite down on his wrist.

Danvers shuttered his eyes as he felt his blood being drunk and it wasn't long before Will pulled away. It didn't take much of another Predator Vampire's blood to bring them up out of such a state but Will, Much and Danvers would have to feed on a human pretty soon to bring up their reservoirs. Robin appeared on the other side of the bars and Danvers travelled back through the bars as mist again, leaving Robin and Alan to blow apart the bars. To avoid reforming himself and putting up with the nausea he flowed straight to where Much was in the same state as Will and within a minute he was pulling away from Danvers' wrist and letting Danvers help him to stand on his own feet.

"It's time to go." Danvers told him and put a supporting arm around Much's back to reassure him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two hours later**

The Merlin helicopter which lived onboard the _Predator_ was a Royal Navy aircraft on permanent station on the _Predator_ which the Navy didn't mind because it was fuelled and maintained at the cost of the Duke of Nightmares and proved to be a good training platform for new pilots. In fact as one of the only flight decks built to take the weight of the Merlin at the time of their design a lot of the research was done on board. The _Predator_ was designed with a flight deck on the back of the superstructure and while higher than normal for a ship that wasn't an aircraft carrier it was large enough for a Chinook to land.

The Merlin came in land with the permission of the Washington air traffic control to pick up the Duke of Norfolk and his entourage and while this was all done very publicly they were relying on the fact that word had yet to spread to the authorities about what had happened in California. Danvers had a bit of immunity to most of the laws as a visiting diplomat but that wouldn't stop the US military if it wanted retribution against him or his friends. The Merlin travelled high for most of the journey until it came within a few miles of the _Predator _at which point it rapidly descended. In the darkness of the new moon the ship showed up as a collection of lights but most of those lights became only a glow as the Merlin lined up with the stern of the ship and soon only the stern light and flight deck lights were obvious to the pilots. To the five Predator vampires in the back of the Merlin though it the wake of the ship was obvious where it had just turned to steady up on the correct course for landing.

The Merlin settled down with a small bump and the crewman paused by the door until he heard permission on his headset and he slid the door open and waved for Danvers, Robin, Alan, Will and Much to disembark. They kept to the rules let themselves be escorted off of the flight deck by members of the flight deck party and the Merlin began to shut down even as they felt the ship roll ever so slightly as it brought itself back onto course.

"Duke Orion!" A man called to him. One of the third officers on board. Danvers didn't know all of the crew but he knew most of the permanent members of the crew. The rest were normally merchant navy or navy moonlighting or on loan from the Royal Navy who lights to be able to have a presence on the ship, especially for formal occasions after _HMS Britannia _had been decommissioned. "The Captain wishes you to know that he is on the Bridge if you wish to speak to him. He says he is happy to come to you if you are tried for time."

Danvers smiled in the dark knowing that meant that the Captain wanted to talk to him about the situation and that was his subtle way of saying he wanted to talk immediately. He might be the Master and therefore responsible for everything the ship did but Danvers was the owner and that made him just as liable for recrimination if the ship did something it wasn't supposed to. Then again the presence of a navy flight, navy crewmen and officers and lastly the presence of British Peerage did give it the grey card to wave around if it was required.

Danvers turned to the others who nodded to show they would look after themselves and Danvers moved forwards passed the open helicopter lift that led down to the hanger at the bottom of the ship and along the top of the superstructure and up the steps that led onto the large bridge wings. The door was open and Danvers ducked inside, his eyes adjusting to the nearly pitch black room, lit only by control lights and red and black radar and ECDIS, chart, screens.

"Captain." Danvers greeted quietly since even though the man's eyes were adjusted to the darkness he probably couldn't see Danvers in his dark clothing. "I am sorry for the departure from your planning passage."

"No need for apology, Duke Orion." Captain Isles told him as he moved over to him. "I only wish for an explanation."

Danvers jerked his head and the two walked out onto the bridge wing, lit with a gentle glow from the portholes and windows of the ship. Out here the Captain could make out Danvers' face a little easier and Danvers could see him just as he could in the daylight. "Much and Will were in the United States tracking down a group of Vampires and Demons that had crossed our radar so to speak." Danvers explained. "They reported in before following the gang to the town of Mulderik in California and the next morning British Surveillance Satellites caught photos of the remains of a slaughter in the town and Will and Much did not respond to communications."

The Captain waited patiently knowing that what he was being told was GB Top Secret, not even for the eyes of their allied nations especially since Danvers had just admitted that their own surveillance satellites had been recording over US soil. Danvers continued with a sigh. "Robin, Alan and I went to investigate. The US Military although late to prevent the Vampires and Demons from slaughtering the entire town were in time to capture Will and Much with the help of a the current Slayer and two Wiccan Witches of admittedly great power. Part of the US army called the Project detained Will and Much. Robin, Alan and I have just been to rescue them."

"And that is the reason we are remaining in international waters?" The Captain asked.

"It is." Danvers nodded. "The US military were well aware of who they were detaining unlawfully and Will and Much had to be extracted with all haste. Unfortunately that meant we had to be brutal." Danvers nodded in the darkness.

"I'd suggest then that we plot a course across the Atlantic as soon as possible then, Duke Orion." The Captain suggested. "The sooner we put distance between us and them the better."

"Do it then, Captain." Danvers nodded. "I shall check in with the British Military Command immediately and I will forward anything pertinent to you and your Navigator."

Danvers left the man on the Bridge making phone calls and headed down to the forecastle to make a few calls. The first call was to Djaq to tell her that Will and Much were safe and to tell them where they were.

"What do you plan to do?" She asked him.

"We're going to sail back to Britain as soon as the ship has the course planned." Danvers told her.

"The only problem I see with that is the US task group operating off the east coast. They're about five hundred miles from you right now and at thirty knots they can get to your current position in under seventeen hours. That's not counting anything coming out of harbour but I don't think they'll bother with that when they've got eight ships out with submarines directly in your projected route." Djaq told him. "And of course if you start travelling east at thirty knots you'll slam straight into them in less than eight and a half hours."

"We're transmitting as a passenger ship with over two hundred civilians on board. They can't really do anything to us without the world press getting wind of it." Danvers pointed out. "And they can't charge us with anything if they board."

"But out in the mid Atlantic they could cause an accident." Djaq grumbled. "It's a small chance and only possible if there's someone pulling the strings who really got hurt when you wiped out of the Project base but I think you need another option."

"What?" Danvers asked.

"I've been on the phone to Fleet Headquarters since I heard you were moving the _Predator_ down to escape on. There's a small task group just off of Newfoundland doing submarine detection exercises with the US. HMS Illustrious and seven Frigates and Destroyers. Give the world and they'll be down to escort you back across the Atlantic." Djaq told him.

"And what will Whitehall tell the world press?" Danvers asked even though they both knew he'd say yes. There was too much riding on restraining the US military.

"They already plan to tell the world that they received a bomb threat against the _Predator_ and that you went to sea to avoid land based attacks." Djaq informed him. "It won't be difficult to tell the press that worried over a possible asymmetric threat at sea they sent the task group to escort you back to safe waters. The British public will love it to add to that. If anything Whitehall is eager to do it. They want to show the world that the British fleet is a world power still and this will do it. Especially to the US."

"Alright, Djaq, tell the Navy that we'll head straight for them at best speed. Have them send us their positions and courses. Plotted speed will be thirty knots." Danvers said. That would be pushing the ship's designed speed but Danvers knew that she could do it and with the five Predator Vampires on board they'd be able to hear any problems long before they happened.

"Work out the triangle, Danvers." Djaq warned. "It's going to close. Very close."

"I know, Djaq. We'll see you in a week or so." Danvers promised before hanging up. The triangle was rather despairing with about a thousand miles between the _Predator_ and the British and US task group up north and only five hundred miles between them and the US destroyers that would soon be chasing them. If the British task group did sixteen knots and the _Predator _thirty they'd meet in just over twenty-one hours and assuming the US destroyers started the chase soon at thirty-five knots then they'd have about six hundred miles to run to catch them and that would take them only seventeen hours. There were a lot of assumptions but at sea there generally was and unfortunately Danvers couldn't rely on the US destroyer misinterpreting their intentions since their friends currently working with the Royal Navy up north would certainly report in within the next few minutes that their British allies were turning south west at best speed. Their only hope was that the British Frigates and Destroyers came ahead at their top speed or the _Predator _would have four hours alone with the US destroyers. Luckily he knew Djaq would personally see to them.

Danvers turned and ran up the steps to the Bridge and straight through it and down again into the chart room which was fully lit. He flinched slightly at the bright light and that gave the Captain and Navigator time to turn to look at him. He eyed the large scale North Atlantic chart and grabbed a pencil and drew a cross right under Newfoundland. "Get us there as fast as possible, Captain." He ordered and knew his tone got results.

"Go, Chris." The Captain ordered. "Tell the Officer of the Watch to change course in that general direction then we'll worry about passage planning." The Navigator nodded and almost ran from the room and within five seconds the ship was heeling over again and turning into the north east.

"Care to explain?" The Captain asked him after a moment. Danvers checked the scale of the chart and drew a loose circle around an area approximately five hundred nautical miles east of them.

"That's the position of a large scale US destroyer and submarine exercise. Whitehall expects them to turn to intercept us. If we start across the Atlantic on our own we'll be blocked. If not by orders than actual ships sitting across our bow." Danvers told him before drawing a line from their own position, already plotted by the Captain and Navigator up to the first circle he'd drawn, where the British and US exercise was. "Up here is HMS Illustrious and seven British Frigates and Destroyers that are about to be ordered to come to us at best speed and escort us across the Atlantic until we're back in safe waters."

"What about the US ships up there?" The Captain asked telling Danvers he already knew of the exercise up there.

"They'll realise something is up and will undoubtedly report to the Pentagon that their British Allies just turned south west and the Pentagon will put that together with our position." Danvers nodded. "That's why we need to be on the fast side."

The Captain sighed and moved to the phone and Danvers' hearing picked up the phone on the bridge above them ringing. "Officer of the Watch, call the engine room and have the third and fourth generators brought online and put full lever ahead on. Thirty knots or better."

He heard the Officer of the Watch agree and ignored the conversation he could hear on the Bridge talk boxes. "If you would like, Captain. I can have the Merlin put you ashore and I can take official Command of the _Predator._" Danvers offered knowing very well what trouble a Master could get into.

"I'm the Captain of a British Flag ship." The Master told him simply and that was that and technically speaking just because a US destroyer ordered the _Predator_ to come to a full stop to be boarded didn't mean they had to comply. Not in international waters and not if they were a British flagged ship with full rights to trade in Canadian waters. The _Predator_ hadn't even sailed into US territorial waters.

Danvers turned to leave but the Captain's drawn in breath made him pause. "Captain?" Danvers prompted as he turned back to look at him.

"Will you be sleeping, Sir?" The Captain asked.

"No, Captain." Danvers shook his head. "I shall be awake until this is over and we are safely being escorted by our own ships."

"You know we have two members of the BBC press onboard from Halifax?" The Captain asked.

"Yes, I do. And right now I plan to make use of them. Soon everyone will know that the only reason we are running at full speed towards our own ships is because we were threatened by terrorists." Danvers smirked and the Captain smiled for the first time that night, taking reassurance in Danvers' presence even though the Captain looked to be older. In truth Danvers was almost eight hundred years older than him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next day**

Danvers had been either been talking to the press, in his own operations centre or up on the bridge for the entire rest of the night and into the next day and as afternoon began to creep up on them Danvers began to worry. The Destroyers behind them were now well within missile range and were only a hundred miles behind them not yet visible on their radar but Djaq was keeping them well informed and the British Frigates and Destroyer racing towards them from the north east had picked up their radars on their own systems but they were almost three hundred miles away still with the HMS Illustrious and two escorts even further back.

Danvers was standing on the bridge wing when his ears picked up the sound of distance jets and he turned and his eyes picked up four small dots above the horizon, not even twenty miles away. Danvers turned and was inside the Bridge within a second and he called down to where he knew Robin, Much, Will and Alan were entertaining guests and keeping the press away from Danvers while the more underhanded things got done. He told Robin, who lifted the phone, that they were about to have four US jets converge on them before he hung up and looked at the Officer of the Watch who had heard him.

"What do you want me to do, Sir?" The man asked.

"Call your Captain." Danvers said simply. "I'm about to deny them permission to fly over and declare that we do not require protection from them against terrorist attack."

The Officer of the Watch blinked. He knew perfectly well, like all the bridge officers did, that they weren't there to protect them but Danvers knew how to play this game. "They should be monitoring channel sixteen, Sir." The Officer told him.

Danvers nodded and moved to the radio and checked the bearing. "Military wing bearing 235 degrees from my vessel, this is the Cruise Liner M/V _Predator_. I say again, Military wing bearing 235 from my vessel, this is the Cruise Liner M/V _Predator._ We are on high alert for terrorist attack and request that you identify your country of origin and your intentions, over."

"Bridge, Ops room." A voice announced from the talk back box just as the Captain ran up the steps.

"Bridge." The Officer of the Watch acknowledged.

"We have identification on the inbound flight. Range is twenty miles, bearing 235 degrees. Showing as friendlies from the United States Air Force." The voice told him. Danvers jerked his head and the Officer of the Watch thanked them.

Danvers paused for the slightest of moments before turning to the Captain. "I'm declaring a twelve miles exclusion zone." He told him.

"We're far enough out." The Captain nodded.

Danvers turned to the radio. "USAF wing inbound on my position, this is the M/V _Predator_. You are not permitted to overfly my vessel without permission and such permission is not granted. I say again permission is not granted. We are in international waters and declaring a twelve mile exclusion zone around my vessel. Alter your course and do not encroach on our position. We have been threatened with a terrorist attack on your continent and as a vessel with special permit we are entitled to defend ourselves and declare a no fly zone around us."

He watched out of the window as the four planes came closer. F-35 Raptors. He turned back to the Captain. "Flares and decoys ready?"

"The first sign of a lock and they'll deploy automatically but then the press will be well aware we're under attack." The Captain pointed out darkly.

"That'll be the USs fault." Danvers said simply before turning back to the radio. Those planes were now inside their twelve mile exclusion zone. "US military flight, this is the Royal British vessel M/V _Predator_ under the protection of the British Crown, your actions are hostile and will be viewed as such regardless of your allied status with our country. Break off your attack and exit our declared exclusion zone or we will take steps to defend ourselves against all action viewed as aggressive."

"That's not working." The Captain pointed out needlessly.

"Fine then, we'll make them think twice." Danvers snapped. "Captain, as of my last radio communication this is a British vessel under royal protection and thus is entitled to protect herself under any power and ability available to a British warship in international waters. Open out the Phalanx and lock onto those aircraft with the weapons radar."

He said it more for the voyage data recorder than anything else and it took only twenty seconds for the Royal Navy team to raise the built in Phalanx gattling gun with its radar out of one of the buildings on the top of the ship. The ship altered course to clear the line of firing for the automated system and when the radar came online it sought out the four aircraft and within seconds tagged them even though they were still out of range but approaching fast.

Danvers let himself bare his fangs as the four aircraft banked away from the ship as fast as they could and the Phalanx whirled around keeping its lock on the lead ship. The aircraft just skimmed its outer range but the system wasn't even loaded and the safety was still on. The aircraft got the hint though.

Danvers turned to the Captain with a nod. "I'm going to give the order for the Phalanx to be loaded and brought to full standby. Intentions are for it to only shoot down incoming missiles. I don't want the world to hear about a British cruise liner shooting down an American Pilot even if we have the right to."

"Yankee-Alpha-niner-two-one, this is RN-seven-four-five." A voice announced over one of the closed circuits only open to decrypted military vessels and aircraft and that the _Predator_ was tied into. "The British Vessel, M/V _Predator_ is a British vessel under the protection of the Royal Navy and the Crown of Great Britain, any further aggressive moves made towards it in the current situation will result in immediate and fatal measures being taken."

"Who's saying that?" The Captain turned to the Officer of the Watch who moved to the talk box and requested the origin of the message from the operations room.

"Flight inbound from the north east. Four Tornados from the HMS Illustrious." The operations room informed them and Danvers looked out ahead of them and sure enough his eyes could just detect a small dot above the horizon at extreme range. He nodded to the Captain. "Captain," The voice continued. "We are being targeted by the Destroyers in our wake. We can't discern what they are using but their missiles could reach us in six minutes."

Danvers ran his tongue over his fangs and moved to the microphone attached to the encrypted radio. "All British units, this is Duke Corvil of the _Predator_. We are being targeted by allied vessels and have been aggressively manoeuvred towards by US military aircraft. We request close in protection and weaponry support and we request that an explanation for their hostile actions is requested from the US government."

"_Predator_, this is military flight A-2 from HMS Illustrious, we will provide close in support." The same voice as before announced. "US destroyers on this channel, you are ordered to sector your targeting radar away from a British flag vessel and to remain outside of the declared twelve mile exclusion zone. We have permission to defend the M/V _Predator_ with all means and will fire upon you if we believe that the vessel is in danger. US aircraft you are ordered not to operate within firing range of the _Predator_. Failure to comply immediately will result in action being taken to the entirety of our means." Meaning they were willing to launch all twenty-five Tornados from the HMS Illustrious to intercept the ships. Danvers was impressed, he'd been expecting the Royal Navy to place meek and nice, merely there regardless of the USs attempts to 'protect' the _Predator_ from terrorists. They were actually warning the US not to threaten them.

Danvers stood on the bridge for the next hour watching as the US destroyers on their starboard beam at twenty miles and then closed to within fifteen miles before turning to parallel their course just as the British Frigates and Destroyers appeared in a line abreast ahead of them and rapidly closed within only fifteen minutes, turning to form a sector with the newer ships only half a mile off of the _Predator_ and two Frigates actually forcing the Us destroyers away.

They were still outnumbered by the US destroyers and a battle would become extremely bloody but the US wouldn't dare begin a fight in this situation and there was no way to accidentally cause problems and soon, within the next hour, the small fleet met the HMS Illustrious making a rather impressive sight. The _Predator_ had sailed in company of warships before and most often as not she refuelled from them and did operations with them to keep in practice and most notably during the Falklands war she acted as either a hospital ship or a troop and stores carrier just like Danvers had intended for her all along.

It was six days of open sea before they made their way up into the Solent. The US ships had turned back for the coastline after only a day seeing no way for their government to be able to resolve the situation and Danvers had monitored all of the diplomatic channels for the entire crossing to find out what the fallout had been. The Wizarding World was nearly in a state of panic as Danvers showed them rather brutally what he and his friends were capable of but he knew that in a few years they decide that he'd tricked them and be back at his heels again. None of that mattered to him as the _Predator_ sailed through the entrance into Portsmouth Harbour with HMS Illustrious, HMS Daring and HMS Defender behind her and HMS Manchester and HMS Somerset ahead of her. Danvers stood on the starboard bridge wing with Robin next to him simply staring at the crowds of the large Portsmouth Carnival. They'd arrived with perfect timing to be greeted back by millions of people and it was like nothing had ever happened.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Story


End file.
